• CHERYL G. CRUZ
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) is reminding drivers and operators of public utility vehicles (PUVs) that the “sardinas-like” overcrowding of passengers is prohibited.
LTFRB chairperson, Atty. Teofilo Guadiz III, said in a statement July 7 that all PUVs must strictly comply with the allowable passenger capacity of their respective units, per existing policies of the Board and the Department of Transportation.
Under Memorandum Circular 2021-002 and the Philippine National Standards, traditional jeepneys should have 12 to 32 passengers and shall not exceed the allowable maximum capacity, based on the manufacturer’s specification.
Modern jeepneys, or those airconditioned units now plying the streets in key areas in the country, including in Bacolod City, should have 12 to 32 passengers, but shall not exceed the allowable maximum capacity, based on the manufacturer’s specification.
“If standing passengers are permitted, the number must not exceed five persons per square meter of the available standing space, pursuant to Item 3.1 of DOTr Department Order 2023-022,” the LTFRB stressed.
In Bacolod, almost all modern jeepneys are only allowed 10 standing passengers each unit, per PUV markings.
But during the rush hours in the morning and late afternoon, the “sardinas-like” crowding can be seen in jeeps plying the routes of Homesite, Bata, Mandalagan, Tangub, Alijis, Singcang-Airport, Sum-ag, and Punta Taytay, among others.
Guadiz, meanwhile, said that drivers/operators who failed to comply with the anti-sardinas policy shall be penalized with fines, and/or suspension or cancellation of Certificate of Public Convenience. | CGC
