The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) on Thursday clarified that the request of Francisco Motors for its “TsuperHero” program pilot implementation has been reviewed and was found to have several technical factors that must be addressed before granting the special permits.
Firstly, the agency cited the “proposed route Merry Homes, Caloocan City to Sta. Monica Shop and Ride Novaliches, Quezon City is not an existing route of CAZANOVA Transport Service Cooperative.”
Francisco Motors said it intends to work with the CAZANOVA Transport Service Cooperative for its pilot implementation of the TsuperHero program.
The LTFRB said the existing routes are Cielito Homes-Nova via Camarin Road Quirino with 39 authorized units and Almar Subdivision-Gotesco Commonwealth via Regalado with 12 authorized units.
“As seen on the route map, the endpoint of the proposed route Sta. Monica Shop and Ride, Novaliches, Quezon City amounted to a modification of its original route,” it said.
“Memorandum Circular No. 2023-037 provides for the Guidelines for the Amendment of Fixed Routes of PUVs in MUCEP Area. Inclusion of the proposed route to any initiatives, like the “TsuperHero Program” is not under any of the conditions specified in the Memorandum Circular,” it added.
Under the existing policy, special permits are issued by the Board once the proposed routes are opened through a memorandum circular as stated in the LTFRB’s Citizens Charter.
On Francisco Motor’s proposal to offer for free their modernized jeepneys to those under the TsuperHero program, the LTFRB found that Franciso Motors “do not have a certificate of compliance from the Department of Transportation.”
As far as the proposal of unlimited ride is concerned, the LTFRB noted “Francisco Motors does not have the authority to determine or prescribe the fares of the units to be used in the pilot implementation.”
On the request for equity subsidy before the DOTr, the LTFRB said Francisco Motors “is not any of those financial institutions or partnership concessions specified in the department order which are authorized to assist transport service entities in the acquisition of their modern units.”
It cited Section 6 Fiscal and Non-Fiscal Support of Department Order 2023-022 which provides that “the Department of Transportation shall partner with financial institutions, either government financing institutions or private financial institutions, public-private partnership concessions, Official Development Assistance partners, international financial institutions, or a combination thereof for programs to assist the transport service entities in the acquisition of modern PUV units.”