- CHERYL G. CRUZ
Operators and drivers of traditional jeepneys in Bacolod City will be allowed to apply for interim service permit valid until March 2023 while the shift to the modernization program is ongoing.
This was one of the short-term solutions agreed on by Mayor Alfredo Benitez and officials of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board and Land Transportation Office in their meeting Nov. 22 at the City Mayor’s Office.
Benitez told members of the media that the LTO agreed not to impound public utility jeepneys with expired franchises or registration, even as the two-week reprieve on the crackdown will lapse today, Nov. 23, as long as they submit themselves to the transfer plan.
“Wala dakpanay. But we call on all traditional jeepneys with expired franchises and registrations to come to the Bacolod Government Center for their validation,” the mayor said, adding that it will be the city that will filter and validate their papers or documents and will then submit the final list to the LTFRB for the issuance of the interim or provisional permit, subject to the Board’s rules and conditions.
Benitez said the most important thing is to ensure the safety of the riding public, so traditional jeepneys should register for an interim service permit so they can continue their operations.
“At the end of the day, we will not allow the riding public to be in jeopardy. The city will make sure that the riding public is protected, and to do that, the traditional jeepneys should register,” he stressed.
Benitez said there were 2,445 jeepneys with franchises operating in Bacolod in 2020, as per the LTFRB. Those whose registrations were not renewed by the LTFRB under the PUV Modernization Program can apply for provisional permit to augment the modern units plying the routes.
There are only 173 modernized jeeps operating in Bacolod, and the number is not enough to serve commuters.
Benitez said that Department of Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista assured him that he will wait for the letter that he will submit and will assess the various concerns raised by the transport sector in the city.
He said it’s very clear that the drivers and operators of traditional jeepneys are not against the modernization program, but they are asking if some of the guidelines could be amended, like the consolidation requirement and unit cost.
He said Bautista promised to wait for his letter and to determine if there’s need to amend or modify some of the PUVMP guidelines./CGC
