By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga
Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Benitez said he wants a transition period to modernized public utility vehicles (PUVs) first before authorities can start apprehending operators of the traditional PUVs.
Benitez said on Friday, November 18, that he will talk again with officials from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) and the Land Transportation Office (LTO) with regards to the provisions in the modernization program of the PUVs.
Traditional PUV operators are asking LTFRB to let them avail modern jeepney units, instead of organizing a cooperative or corporation to avail one, according to the mayor.
They also demand a much cheaper version of the modern jeepney units.
Currently, the price of a modernized jeepney unit runs from P1.3 million to P2.4 million depending on the type and is equipped with more advanced technology and safety features such as curb-side passenger entrance and exit doors, closed-circuit television cameras, and global positioning system.
Following Benitez’s statements, Sentrong Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operator sa Negros Occidental chairman Albert Villanueva thanked the city mayor for acting on their requests.
Villanueva said that they are not against the PUV modernization program, but rather they are only asking for much lower standards, as current standards are unfriendly to small PUV operators.
He said the present modernization program is following Republic Act (RA) 8749, otherwise known as the Philippine Clean Air Act.
The transport group leader is also pushing to rehabilitate old jeepneys to become compliant with RA 8749.
He said they will try their best to comply with the LTFRB’s modernization standards.
Earlier this month, hundreds of traditional jeepney operators and drivers camped outside Bacolod City Government Center after the LTO began apprehending traditional jeepney units which were operating without complete documents and franchise permits.
The city government later agreed to a 15-day moratorium which started last November 9, wherein the LTO will temporarily stop apprehending PUVs and to give way to a proper dialogue between all sides./DGB, WDJ