Should LGUs wield more power over public transport? These 2 Metro Manila mayors agree.

MANILA, Philippines – Muntinlupa Mayor Rozzano Rufino “Ruffy” Biazon and Quezon City (QC) Mayor Joy Belmonte are of the same opinion that local government units (LGU) can help provide a better, more sustainable mass transport system if they wield more power over public transportation.

“’Yung authority ng local governments [over public transportation] kailangan magkaroon para po ma-manage ‘yung traffic within our jurisdiction,” said Biazon on Saturday, October 19, during one of the panel sessions of Rappler’s Social Good Summit. (READ: How Quezon City, Muntinlupa, and Isabela City make urban areas liveable)

(Local governments need to have authority over public transportation so we can manage traffic within our jurisdiction.)

This is not to say LGUs can usurp the power of the national governments, especially on public transport that traverses multiple cities. But for Belmonte, local governments could use more leeway when it comes to public transport that’s within their city.

The QC mayor was referring to the Libreng Sakay program, which she said has a fleet of 90 buses plying eight routes within the city and had provided a total ridership of 29 million.

“But now we are under a little bit of threat, because the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the LTFRB (Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board) are breathing down our necks saying we don’t have or we may not have that jurisdiction or that power,” said Belmonte on Saturday.

QC’s Libreng Sakay program launched during the pandemic. Recently, QC government started electrifying the fleet.

While the mayor is already in talks with the DOTr and the LTFRB regarding the program, she said that Libreng Sakay “is something that for me, dapat hindi na lang pakialamanan ng national government.” (The national government shouldn’t get involved with Libreng Sakay anymore.)

According to Robie Sy Jr, co-convenor of Move As One Coalition, mobility advocates support LGUs in having more power over the transportation realm.

“In civil society…we believe that LGUs should be empowered to take full control of that area so that you can actually manage your economic activity,” said Sy during the question and answer portion