Question & AnswerQ&A (EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 202)
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) is a body created under the Department of Transportation and Communications to regulate public land transportation services.
The LTFRB is composed of a Chairman and two members, all with the rank, salary, and privileges of an Assistant Secretary. One member must be a member of the Philippine Bar with at least five years of law practice; another must hold a degree in engineering; and the third must hold a degree in economics, finance, or management with the same years of experience.
The members and the Executive Director of the LTFRB are appointed by the President of the Philippines upon recommendation of the Secretary of Transportation and Communications.
The Executive Director has the rank, salary, and privileges of a Department Service Chief and assists the Board in performing its powers and functions.
The LTFRB has the power to issue, amend, revise, suspend, or cancel Certificates of Public Convenience or permits that authorize the operation of public land transportation services and to prescribe terms and conditions for the same.
Yes, the Board can prescribe and regulate routes of service, capacities, zones or areas of operation, and determine reasonable fares, rates, and other charges for public land transportation services.
The LTFRB can issue preliminary or permanent injunctions, punish contempt, issue subpoenas and summon witnesses, conduct hearings and investigations, and impose fines and penalties within its jurisdiction.
Decisions are made en banc and must have the concurrence of at least two members. Decisions can be appealed to the Secretary of Transportation and Communications within thirty days from receipt. The Secretary may also review decisions motu proprio before they become final.
Each administrative region has a Regional Franchising and Regulatory Office, headed by a Board Regional Manager, which hears and decides uncontested applications or petitions for routes within their regions. Decisions of these offices are appealable to the LTFRB.
Funds for the LTFRB come initially from the Department of Transportation and Communications' available funds. Subsequently, its budget is included in the General Appropriations Act.