By Mortz C. Ortigoza
DAGUPAN CITY – Because of
the provisional authority to operate given by the government the world class
inter-modal transport terminal here can open anytime to serve the public, according
to the official of the company who runs it.
“Right now we are pleased to say we have the provisionary
authority to operate. And in fact if you notice kaninang umaga it was the
regional director of the LTFRB who gave a very strong endorsement for this
transport terminal dahil sang ayon itong transport terminal natin sa utos mismo
ni Pangulong Duterte ang LTFRB,” Executive Director Alan German of the SDS Development &
Consultancy after he attended Wednesday morning in this city the nationwide simultaneous launched of One Direction Towards PUV Modernization of the Department of
Transportation & Communications and the Land Transportation Franchising
Regulatory Board (LTFRB)
 |
| COLOSSAL - Executive Director Alan German (extreme left) of the SDS Development & Consultancy leads the cutting of ribbon in the recent inauguration of the colossal world class hundreds of millions of pesos inter-modal terminal located in the Judge Jose de Venecia Highway Extension at Barangay Tapuac in Dagupan City. German is accompanied by the firm's lawyer Leiland R. Lopez (extreme right) and Bonuan Gueset Barangay Chairman Noel Bumanlag. Photo: Mortz C. Ortigoza |
He added that the firm is
in a skeletal operation even before its inauguration and ribbon cutting he led
with SDS’s counsel Leland R. Lopez.
“We can operate anytime given the provisional
license to operate,“ German, the son of
publicist Reli German, reiterated on the sprawling two-and-a-half hectares hub.
Dialogue with Mayor Brian Lim
He said the company wants
to dialogue with Mayor Brian Lim when told by this writer the mayor may oppose
the terminal’s operation because the public utility buses here are not allowed
because of the routes dictated by the LTFRB in their franchisees.
German said that his firm
complied with all the government regulations.
“Tungkol po sa lahat
ng paper works at regulation. So confident po kami as far as legal standing is
concerned. Our good mayor is still doubtful about the status of our operation
we would like to dialogue with him. Clarify namin po,” he stressed.
The hundreds of millions
of pesos’ hub, he compared with the modern terminal in Paranaque City, complied
with the mandates of President Rodrigo Duterte to decongest this city by
creating another common terminal with safe and intermodal land transportation
system.
“As you can see lahat po
iyan ay natugunan namin”.
LTFRB Launches Huge Reform for PUVs
He cited that even this city’s ordinance mandates the decongestion of the local government unit by barring transportation terminal in the heart of the city.
Recently, the LTFRB
Region 1 launched a roadshow here and in Laoag City presenting a number of
modernized vehicles which include buses, vans, and taxi units along the
national highway, which will soon serve commuters in the region.
Regional Director
Nasrudin Talipasan of the LTFRB Region 1 said the modernization program is a
comprehensive system reform that will entirely change the public land
transportation industry.
Under the program, local
government units (LGUs) are required to submit their own Local Public Transport
Plan (LPTRP) as a pre-requisite for the opening of PUV franchises within their
jurisdiction.
Route rationalization
studies will also be conducted to determine the appropriate mode, quantity and
service characteristics of the public transport service in each corridor which
will make the routes more responsive to passenger demands and ensures that the
hierarchy of roads and modes of transportation are followed.
Potentials of Dagupan City
German explained the construction of the terminal materialized because of the countless potentials of this city in Region 1 in terms of business, education, economy, and progress.
“We did a lot of developmental studies. The foundation too strong for regional development being
a hub of Region - 1 I think this begin and end with Dagupan”.
Lawyer Lopez said the
full blast operation of the transport hub will commence “a month and a half
or two months” during this newspaper’s interview last Wednesday at the
terminal.
He explained the colossal
inter-modal hub could accommodate all imaginable mode of land transportation.
It has 16 bus bays
notwithstanding those parking areas for utility vehicles like air-conditioned
vans, taxis, and other model public utility jeeps approved by the LTFRB
Fear of Being Opposed by the Lim Administration
Meanwhile, pundits fear
that the terminal will surely be opposed by the Lim Administration and its
supporters by citing its faraway distance to the customary terminals at the heart
of this city.
One of the kibitzers, who
asked not to be named, said that the Lim Administration will probably block it
because the presence of the terminal will spike the financial stocks of former
mayor Belen T. Fernandez and family.
“Her family owned real
properties around the terminal. With that modern hub there servicing the public,
land prices there will surely skyrocket. Any re-elective sitting mayor for the
2022 election will consider its presence a very serious threat".
The source citing the mind numbing expenses Lim and Fernandez spent in the May 13, 2019 election will probably influence that mindset.
The source citing the mind numbing expenses Lim and Fernandez spent in the May 13, 2019 election will probably influence that mindset.
“Any re-elective mayor will not allow his future
rival to have that financial advantages in the next poll”.
Lim won with a 1.2
percent lead votes only among the 96, 953 electorates here who voted.
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