LTFRB suspends P2P policy for UV express vehicles

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board has suspended for two weeks its point-to-point (P2P) policy for UV Express vehicles, a transportation official said on Friday.

Transportation Assistant Secretary Goddess Hope Libiran said the move was to give more time for consultations.

“Per LTFRB, they suspended it for two weeks per the recommendation of Congress to give way to a more thorough stakeholder consultation,” Libiran told GMA News Online.

She said LTFRB would soon issue an advisory on the matter.

LTFRB chairman Martin Delgra III has said that the point to point policy was not new. It was first implemented in 2005.

In 2009, LTFRB amended the memorandum circular requiring UV Express vehicles to drop off and pick up passengers within the two-kilometer radius outside terminals.

But since the drivers did not follow the policy, LTFRB amended the circular and ordered UV Express units to load and unload passengers only at the terminals. 

This meant the vehicles were not allowed to drop off and pick up passengers in other areas.

The amended P2P policy for UV Express took effect on May 16 but was met with opposition.

The Lawyers for Commuters Safety and Protection (LCSP) suggested that drop-off and pick-up stops for UV Express be established instead of the adopting the point-to-point system. —NB, GMA News