Senate eyes hearing on revocation of bus franchises

Senate Majority Floor Leader Vicente "Tito" Sotto III on Wednesday said he is in the process of drafting a resolution that would call for a hearing on the proposal to revoke bus franchises to weed out rogue operators. Sotto said the hearing will give them the input they need to determine whether to purge out all the bus franchises, specifically on the recommendation of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB). "Tatawag ng hearing ang Senate committee dahil baka sabihin ng LTFRB na may mga mababait naman na bus operators (A Senate committee will call for a hearing because the LTFRB might say that there are good bus operators)," he said in an interview with reporters. The senator issued the statement after Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Francis Tolentino said he may seek Congress’ help in canceling all bus franchises and having operators apply for new ones. "Hindi na dapat siyang umatras, susuportahan naming sya diyan (He shouldn't back down, we will support him)," said Sotto, referring to Tolentino. Sotto had earlier suggested that the MMDA buy out the bus operators and monopolize bus operations in the National Capital Region. He said the government could also consider putting bus drivers on its payroll. He said this would lessen vehicular accidents because drivers would not have to race against one another to get more passengers. On Wednesday, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile backed Sotto's suggestion, saying that the government had already taken over bus operations at least twice in the past. "It’s in the Constitution. Every public utility is subject to takeover by the government when public interest is involved," he said in a separate interview. A strike by bus drivers and operators last Monday left more than 8,000 passengers stranded in Metro Manila, according to the LTFRB. The drivers and operators were protesting the implementation of the number-coding scheme, which aims to reduce the number of buses in the streets. - Kimberly Jane Tan/KBK, GMANews.TV