The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) is taking measures to ensure a smooth travel experience for the public this Semana Santa. According to LTFRB Chairman Teofilo Guadiz III, the agency's regional directors have dispatched enforcers to all regional offices to facilitate a smooth and efficient flow of passengers in public terminals nationwide.
Chairman Guadiz emphasized that enforcers will inspect drivers and conductors to verify their alertness and physical fitness on the road by checking for the consumption of alcohol or prohibited drugs.
Enforcers will also inspect public utility buses (PUBs) to ensure they are not colorum and remain safe to operate. They will likewise enforce current public health safety protocols inside the vehicles as the country remains under a state of national public health emergency.
Moreover, the LTFRB has issued special permits for 743 units to ensure enough PUBs are available to serve passengers traveling to their respective provinces.
Board Resolution No. 009 was previously released by the LTFRB to extend the validity of special permits for PUBs from March 31 to April 17, 2023, in anticipation of a significant influx of travelers going to the provinces for leisure or to reunite with their families during the long Holy Week break.
Chairman Guadiz said that every year, during long breaks such as All Souls' Day, Christmas, and Holy Week, the LTFRB issues special permits to increase the number of PUBs available for passengers who want to go home to their provinces.
This year, the LTFRB has extended the validity of these permits to provide passengers with more transportation options.
Holy Week, or "Semana Santa," is traditionally awaited because it is a time when the public has a more extended break to spend time with their families and friends, helping them rejuvenate after exhausting workdays.
"That is why we are taking all necessary steps to ensure that passengers are provided with the public transport service they deserve so that their travel experience after a long period of zero travel will be truly worth it. At the LTFRB, public service never stops, and we will make sure that travelers and their families have a hassle-free and trouble-free journey this Holy Week, using a convenient, accessible, safe and secure, and affordable public transportation system," Guadiz stressed. —iTacloban (Source: LTFRB)