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Biz group pushes for more airport transport services | Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry

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Biz group pushes for more airport transport services

Tuesday, April 11, 2017
By Erwin P. Nicavera

A BUSINESS group in Negros Occidental is pushing for more transport services that will cater to passengers from Bacolod-Silay Airport to different areas in the province and vice versa.

The proposal was presented by officials of Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI) to the regional directors of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) and Land Transportation Office (LTO) in Region 6 during a meeting at the Bacolod Pavilion Hotel yesterday.

Frank Carbon, chief executive officer of MBCCI, said the airport currently has three types of public transport services such as metered and coupon taxis, and UX express or shuttle service.

He said they are proposing to replicate the transport services among airports in Manila, Cebu, Davao and Cagayan de Oro where there are Grab cars and car for-hire on top of the metered or white, and airport or yellow taxis.

“Our proposal is to bring in more services to create more competition inside the airport,” Carbon said, adding that “improving the services will bring down the transport or fare cost.”

The business group believed that increasing the number of transport services at the airport is timely as it is currently undergoing some developments through public-private partnership (PPP).

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap) might include in the development the creation of lanes intended for different types of public transport services, it added.

“This initiative is also seen to eliminate operations of colorum vehicles in the province, overpricing, as well as further ensure the safety of passengers especially tourists as these additional transport services are controlled by the airport,” Carbon pointed out.

Lawyer Ma. Joscet Abellar, regional director of LTFRB-6, said they will look into the proposal of MBCCI, noting that if it’s for the betterment of the transport sector in the province, the agency will support it.

Abellar said role of the LTFRB is mainly on the issuance of franchise, but they can also extend services like educating and deputizing the airport personnel who may enforce the agency’s policies within the premise of the facility.

After the meeting yesterday, LTFRB-6 is initiating a meeting with Caap, the one managing the airport, along with the business group.

“Airports are frontlines for tourists thus, it is a black eye for the region if transport services there are poor,” Abellar said, adding that “if all things are done properly, the proposal could be realized within the year.”

For his part, LTO-6 Director Roland Ramos said they are going to complement LTFRB, particularly in the enforcement of related laws that might be violated by would-be operators.

The business group is also pushing for more tourist services from Bacolod City to Boracay, Aklan to enable the former become the gateway of tourists coming from different parts of the country.

Abellar said the LTRFB can issue a franchise between Bacolod and Boracay as tourist transport is one of the denominations not included in the existing moratorium.

“We can issue franchise for tourist transport provided the operator should comply with the requirements, including the endorsement from the Department of Transportation,” she added.

Also, during the meeting, the LTFRB asked the help of MBCCI in looking for an impounding area in the province.

There is no motor vehicle inspection center in Negros Occidental, which according to the business group, adds burden to operators in processing their franchise.

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