Erap: Ordinance legal, partial bus ban in Manila stays

Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada on Friday maintained that the ban against buses without registration and terminals in the city was legal and will stay as long as he is mayor.

 

"Tuloy-tuloy yan habang ako [ang] mayor. Ganyan ang mangyayari," Estrada said in an interview aired over GMA Network's Unang Hirit.

 

Early this week, Manila started implementing a policy that bars buses to pass through the city if they have no terminals there.

 

But the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) is questioning the legality of the city government's decision, even urging bus operators to question the move in court.

 

"Yung sa (a)min ho kasi ... the franchises that we issued, sa amin po legal po yun so technically po, sana hindi ho pwede mapagbawalan yun. Kailangan ho yun ang mangibabaw sa ordinance," said LTFRB executive director Roberto Cabrera III during the same interview on Friday.

 

"Sana ho iregulate na lang, instead of banning the buses to enter," he said in a separate interview aired over GMA Network's Saksi Thursday night.

 

Cabrera also said they hoped that the Manila government had consulted them about the ordinance first.

 

Estrada, however, said the LTFRB did not consult them when they issued the franchises. He also said the agency should just prove why [the Manila ordinance] is illegal.

 

"Tama yung ginagawa namin, ayon sa batas yung mga ordinance. Kung illegal, gawin nila ang hakbang para mapatunayan nilang illegal ... pero sa amin(g) pananaw, wala kaming illegal na ginagawa," the former Philippine leader said.

 

In a separate interview, Vice Mayor Isko Moreno said that under Republic Act 7160 or the Local Government Code, the city can use police power to regulate their roads.

 

Legitimate?

 

If this is the case, Cabrera said the ordinance may be legitimate.

 

"If ang papasukin po nila is yung may mga prangkisa lang whether provincial or city, magiging legitimate po yung ganung panukala po," he said.

 

"Ang tinatanong po kasi samin kahapon is that it appeared to them na mukha hong total ban," he added.

 

Starting Thursday, the Manila government will be fining violators of the ordinance P500.

 

Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chair Francis Tolentino, in a separate interview, said the partial bus ban seems to be doing well.

 

"Nakatulong din nakabawas [sa traffic pero] tatlong araw palang kasi [ito naiimplement so] tingnan natin," he said.

 

But while the move had improved traffic flow in the city's major roads, it also left many commuters inconvenienced and several bus operators fuming.

 

Moreno, however, said commuters have at least five other modes of transportation - the jeepney, FX, taxi, tricycle, and the LRT - to solve their dilemma.

 

"I think this is more than enought to accomodate our commuters. Yung habit lang naman ang nagiging problema," he said. "Masarap din naman pinagpapawisan ng konti pag naglalakad ng konti." 

 

The LRTA administration had said that its daily commuters are already above their capacity.  It services 500,000 commuters a day, which is at least 100,000 above their cap.

 

The Philippine National Railways (PNR) said it also expects its passengers to increase because of the partial bus ban.

 

"Sa ngayon hindi pa namin nararamdaman masyado but [when it] comes na marami [na passengers] we will have to make adjustments sa aming mga train," said PNR transportation department manager Lito Nierva.

 

The PNR fare from Tutuban to Alabang is P20.

 

Meanwhile, the Quezon City government is already thinking of ways to ease traffic within their jurisdiction since the buses being turned away by Manila are now turning around Mabuhay Rotonda.

 

"Ang plano is pakananin sila sa Mayon St. tapos kanan ulit papunta sila Araneta Ave. tapos kaliwa ngayon ng Quezon Boulevard," said Quezon City Mayor Herbet Bautista. — with Kimberly Jane Tan/RSJ, GMA News