By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga
BACOLOD City – The present moratorium on the apprehension of traditional public utility jeepneys (PUJ) in this city has been extended for an “indefinite period”, according to the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).
In a radio interview, LTFRB Region 6 spokesperson, Atty. Salvador Altura Jr., said the agreement was made following a meeting with LTO-Region 6 assistant regional director, Atty. Gaudioso Geduspan II; city administrator, Atty. Pacifico Maghari III; and Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez on Tuesday.
According to Altura, they came up with an agreed course of action while they were still drafting and finalizing the transfer plan for the Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP) in Bacolod.
The LPTRP is expected to be implemented sometime next month.
As of yesterday, the traditional PUJs in the city are still operating normally despite threats from one of the representatives of the local transport sector, Diego Malacad, that they will stop their operations unless there are “concrete assurances” that they will not be apprehended in the city’s streets.
Meanwhile, Geduspan said an agreement was made wherein all traditional PUJs will have to be registered for the protection of the riding public.
He added that all PUJs without franchise permits will be allowed to operate through an interim service until March 2023.
Under the agreement, all non-registered vehicles will be subjected to sanctions from law enforcement units.
Earlier this month, traditional PUJ operators and drivers in the city camped outside the Bacolod City Government Center after the LTO and LTFRB began apprehending PUJs that were operating with either incomplete or expired franchise documents.
After an initial 15-day moratorium, which lasted on Nov. 23, most of the traditional PUJ operators have softened their stance over the government’s transport modernization program and will agree to upgrade to the modern version of the PUJ under the condition that they can operate as sole proprietors instead of joining a cooperative or a corporation.
The group has also been demanding a cheaper version of the modernized PUJs./PN
