BACOLOD City – All traditional public utility jeepneys (PUJs) in this city have resumed their operations over the weekend.
This is after halting their trips last week due to concerns about being apprehended by the Land Transportation Office (LTO) for refusing to consolidate.
Bacolod Alliance for Commuters, Operators and Drivers Inc. (BACOD) president Rudy Catedral said Mayor Alfredo Benitez, in a message, assured them that they could continue operating.
Catedral added that Benitez has sent a letter to the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Region 6 requesting the office to temporarily cease apprehensions.
Last week, BACOD members went to the LTO’s Bacolod office in Sitio Manayawsayaw, Barangay Mansilingan after the regional office announced the expiry on Dec. 31, 2023 of the provisional authority of traditional PUJs.
LTO-6, meanwhile, clarified on Friday, Jan. 5, that they have not received orders from the central office to begin apprehending traditional PUJs who have not consolidated.
Riza Otayde, LTO-6 public information officer, said they are conducting a routine inspection of the vehicle’s registration and only apprehended vehicles operating with expired registrations.
The LTO-6 has also carried out massive apprehensions targeting “colorum” vehicles since November 2023 and is strictly adhering to a “no registration, no travel” policy. (Watchmen Daily Journal)/PN
