By Mae Singuay

Around 500 public utility jeepney operators in Bacolod City will go to the office of Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB)-Western Visayas in Iloilo City today to process the extension of their provisional authority franchise.

The transport groups of the traditional jeepneys complained as they expect the LTFRB will issue an extension for provisional authority after its expiration last March 31.

On May 8, transport groups Bacolod Alliance of Commuters, Operators and Drivers; the United Negros Drivers and Operators Center; and Negros Bacolod Transport Coalition held a transport strike in front of the Bacolod City Government Center grounds after the LTFRB failed to issue the provisional authority extension.

Councilor Al Victor Espino, Sangguniang Panlungsod chair of the committee on transportation, disclosed during a press conference yesterday, that the LTFRB will accept the provisional authority applications of the jeepney operators in the city after Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez talked with Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jaime Bautista recently.

Espino said the city government asked the DOTr for the authority extension because the number of modernized bus units is yet to accommodate all riding sector in Bacolod.

City Ordinance No. 966, or the Local Public Transport Route Plan, allows 1,099 modernized buses to ply on different routes in the city.

However, Benitez disclosed that only 50 percent of the modernized bus units were plying.

He said there is still a need for the traditional jeepneys to operate to fill in the need for public transportation.

Albert Villanueva, chairman of the Sentrong Samahan ng Tsuper at Operators Negros (SSTONE) said about 500 applications will be submitted to the LTFRB to secure provisional authority until December 31 of this year.

The SSTONE and the Federation of Bacolod City Drivers Association said they support the city government for helping the transport groups get the provisional authority./MS, WDJ