Sorsogon Governor Chiz Escudero has unveiled a new transport routes for public utility vehicles under the Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP) that will make travel easy within the province and tourist destinations more accessible to visitors.
Escudero said in a speech Wednesday (July 7) that the LPTRP, the first in the Bicol region, details the route networks, mode of transport and the allocation of units per mode of transportation that will be allowed to ply around Sorsogon.
Under the plan, he said, public transport vehicles like jeepneys, UV Express, mini-buses and tricycles will be more organized in plying their routes, without having to compete for passengers in order to earn an income.
“Sa pamamagitan din po nito, sana maengganyo din natin ang ating mga jeepney operators na magkaroon pa ng dagdag pang jeep, dagdag pang pagkakataon na trabaho para sa ating mga kababayan sa mga bagong rutang bubuksan natin sa ating lalawigan,” Escudero explained.
The creation of the public transport routes also augurs well for the tourism industry by making travel Sorsogon more friendly to visitors, according to the former senator.
“Binigyan namin ito ng prayoridad para ang turismo sa aming lalawigan ay mabuhay at mabigyan ng panibagong buhay. Kadalasan kasi, ‘di naman makakaila, mas malapit ang Donsol kung saan matatagpuan ang butanding o whale shark sa Legazpi kesa sa Sorsogon City. At dahil wala pang biyahe mas nahihirapan po naming maengganyo ang mga turista, matapos makita ang butanding na puntahan at tingnan ang iba pang tourist sites sa lalawigan ng Sorsogon, kabilang na ang Sorsogon City at ang mga magagandang beach namin sa Segundo distrito,” Escudero said.
He also urged the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to pass an ordinance adopting the use of the Sorsogon LPTRP in order to pave the way for the opening of 22 inter-city and inter-municipality routes to more public utility vehicles, as he expressed hopes that nearby provinces like Camarines Sur and Albay would complete their LPTRP for routes traversing provinces.
“Meron na kami ngayong limang kalyeng nag-uugnay sa Sorsogon at Legazpi kabilang na ang Maharlika Highway na marapat tingnan at pag-aralan din kung papano ito makokonekta sa pamamagitan ng public transport route,” Escudero added.
Retired police Gen. Antonio Gardiola Jr., director for Region 5 of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory (LTFRB), said the Sorsogon LPTRP should be replicated in other provinces in the region to improve the transportation services to commuters.
“May (this achievement) serve as an example to all LGUs in the Bicol region to complete the LPTRP as this will help to better serve the riding public, stakeholders and improve the quality of our public transport services,” Gardiola said.
The LPTRP was formed by the Provincial Planning and Development Office headed by Dominador O. Jardin, the LPTRP Technical Working Group headed by Escudero together with the LTFRB Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Regional Project Management Office 5 headed by Officer-in-Charge Arthur Cladera.