The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board has called on all local government units to hasten the creation and adoption of their respective Local Public Transport Route Plans.
This come after the LTFRB in Central Visayas has seen an increase in commuters in one of Cebu City’s bustling commercial districts from before the pandemic restrictions were imposed.
Data from the LTFRB-7 showed that the number of workers in the Cebu IT Park increased from only 20,000 to 55,000 on 31 January 2023 and LTFRB-7 director Eduardo Montealto Jr. said 90 percent or 49,500 of the employees in Cebu IT Park are commuters.
Montealto added that they are now closely coordinating with the administrator of the commercial district, especially since the number of employees is growing every month as many companies are no longer following the work-from-home setup.
“Many employees are returning to work on-site, and the other factor contributing to the growth of the employee numbers is the continuous opening of commercial establishments in the Cebu IT Park,” Montealto said.
He added that there are 90 modern public utility jeepneys that ply localities in northern and southern Cebu going to the Cebu IT Park, disclosing that these MPUJs are coming from other routes that do not reach Cebu IT Park.
Thus, a special permit is necessary for them to extend their route up to the business district.
Once the LPTRP is approved, the LTFRB can then issue franchises to public utility vehicles that will allow them to have a direct route to Cebu IT Park from the different localities in northern and southern Cebu.
Despite the absence of an LPTRP and dedicated direct IT Park route, Montealto assured the commuters that the number of vehicles is enough and can cater to passengers 24 hours a day.
The regional director explained that most businesses in the IT Park have three shifting schedules, which means that not all employees will arrive and leave their offices at the same time.