• THERESA MAE DULMAN
Bacolod Councilor Dindo Ramos, chairperson of the Sangguniang Panlungsod Committee on Transportation and Traffic, is asking the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to fulfill the commitments made to the city’s transport sector during a dialogue Aug. 12.
The appeal followed a suspension order issued by the Office of the Ombudsman against LTFRB chairman, Atty. Vigor Mendoza Jr., a few days after his meeting with transport groups in Bacolod.
The suspension was due to controversies dating back to Mendoza’s tenure as Land Transportation Office chief. Ramos noted that leadership changes and administrative transitions within the LTFRB frequently lead to the discontinuation of previously-initiated programs.
He added that during their meeting with the LTFRB in Bacolod, they tackled giving priority to modernized jeepneys to address transport needs.
If modernized and consolidated units remain insufficient, unconsolidated traditional jeepneys should also be allowed to operate, provided they are roadworthy, he added.
The agency’s commitment remains standing regardless of who holds office, Ramos stressed, noting that regional directors from both the Negros Island Region and Western Visayas were also present during the meeting.
He said that Mendoza also expressed his intent to make Bacolod a pilot city for the modernization program, and hoped that the regional directors will carry out and fulfill these assurances in Bacolod.
“One of the main concerns and responsibilities of the City of Bacolod is to ensure that our commuters and passengers have available transport so they don’t get stranded,” he said.
The city government also received a formal letter from traditional jeepney operators requesting the opening of new public transport routes across Bacolod.
These include SM/Deca Homes via Cegasco to Libertad and vice-versa, BCC (Sum-ag) to Libertad and vv, Libertad to Felisa and vv, Villamonte via Ayala, SM to Central Market and vice-versa, Mandalagan via Country Homes to Central Market and vv, and NGC-Bata-Banago-Ayala vice-versa.
These proposed developmental routes will alleviate the lack of public transportation in the areas covered, Kabacod Negros Transport Coalition (Knetco) president Lilian Sembrano said in her letter to Ramos. | TMD
