BACOLOD City – The Asenso Bacolod Transport Cooperative (ABTraC) has reached out to the city government seeking assistance with issues related to the consolidation of public utility jeepneys (PUJs).
On May 3, ABTraC chairman Eduardo Asis Jr. sent a letter to Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, detailing their concerns, particularly with the processing of provisional authority (PA) at the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).
Asis also requested an extension for processing that were not completed by the deadline of April 30.
The national government has extended the deadline to May 15 for PUJs that have not yet consolidated.
Asis expressed hope that the city government will support their cooperative to ensure that all members meet the new deadline.
Asis explained that prior to the April 30 deadline, approximately 1,500 members had initiated the consolidation process, but only 153 succeeded, covering just 17 of the city’s 24 routes. More than 1,300 members failed to consolidate because the LTFRB rejected their applications due to incomplete documentation.
A recent report highlighted that Bacolod City has the lowest consolidation rate in Western Visayas, with only 620 of 2,313 traditional jeepney operators successfully consolidating, representing just 27 percent of the total./PN
