Department of Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista said on Monday he will focus on three key areas to develop the land-based public transportation sector in the Philippines, namely: accessibility, affordability, and safety.
In a statement quoting his speech during the turnover ceremony of the leadership at the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), Bautista said these three ingredients will be “the cornerstone of the programs of the DOTr.”
He also noted that the agency will be championing the ease of doing business and will gun to eliminate bureaucracy in its attached agencies, including the LTFRB.
“To all LTFRB personnel—memorize these values: accessibility, affordability, comfort and safety. These will be the cornerstone of all programs of agencies under the DOTr,” Bautista.
He added: “One practical area to adopt these values is how LTFRB promotes ease of doing business, how you can reduce red tape, how you can shorten processes so that public utility drivers and operators can quickly avail of your services.”
Bautista reminded government employees to provide the best and honest service, noting that the department will be under “close scrutiny” by the public.
“With critical transport issues mounting every day, we will be under close scrutiny if you can provide immediate solutions. And LTFRB, among others, is at the frontline of providing the solutions,” he explained.
Newly-installed LTFRB Chairman Cheloy Grafil committed to follow the orders of Bautista, saying that she will focus on streamlining the processes at the agency, provide immediate relief to drivers and operators, and be mindful of passenger and commuter policies.
“There is much work to be done and I must admit this is truly not for the weak of heart. Alam ko po ang bigat ng responsibilidad ng LTFRB lalo na ngayong nasa gitna tayo ng pandemya,” she added.