The Negros Oriental Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NOCCI) will sponsor a dialogue between tourism stakeholders and the Land Transportation Office, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board and the Department of Tourism at 10 a.m. of Tuesday, Oct. 5 at the Bethel Guest House.{{more}}
Edward Du, NOCCI interim president, said the open dialogue will aim to discuss on the specific requirements on the Tourist Transport Franchise for Region 7 and requirements for National Franchise for operators servicing Region 6 & 7 as well as the process and procedures for franchise application.
The meeting was arranged after operators of vehicles-for-hire and tourist transportation complained that they were being squeezed by government policies.
Only vehicles with rainbow-colored plates are allowed to carry tourists anywhere in the country. Earlier two hotels in Dumaguete reported an embarrassing incident where LTO agents apprehended their vehicles which did not sport the rainbow-colored plates, as they were taking guests to the airport.
Under a new law, rainbow plates may only be given to vehicles not exceeding three years old.
Babbu Wenceslao, a tourism stakeholder who did a study on this situation, said that there is a strong belief among rent-a-van operators that some LTO employees in Cebu are in cahoots with Cebuano vehicle rental operators, who use up all the rainbow plates assigned even to Negros Oriental.
These allegations have been denied by Dumaguete LTO chief Roland Ramos, in an earlier forum.(AP)
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