THE LAND Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board allowed school transport services to operate as face-to-face classes resume for the School Year 2022-2023.

The Department of Education earlier released a directive public and private schools should fully implement face-to-face classes by November.

For this reason, the LTFRB announced school transportation services with an active Certificate of Public Convenience or Provisional Authority as well as those with an expired CPC but a pending application for Extension of Validity, will be permitted to operate for the upcoming school year.

The agency also enabled transport services having CPC that expires between March 31 and August 31 to seek for an Extension of Validity with no outright penalty.

“This is in recognition of the adverse financial impact of the Covid19 pandemic on operators and drivers of school transport services. (In doing so,) LTFRB will also waive penalties for school service units with pending confirmation from 31 March 2020 to 31 August 2022,” it said.

School transport services will be allowed to operate under the following conditions: secured windows (steel-grilled), seatbelts for all passengers, working portable fire extinguisher, ‘STOP’ and ‘GO’ signages to be carried by the conductor when children cross the street, and wearing of prescribed uniforms by the drivers and conductors.