By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Traditional public utility jeepney (PUJ) drivers in Bacolod City have resumed operations over the weekend following halting their trips due to concerns that they will be apprehended by the Land Transportation Office (LTO) after they refused to consolidate.

Bacolod Alliance of Commuters, Operators and Drivers Inc. (BACOD) president Rudy Catedral said Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez assured them in a message that they can continue operating their traditional PUJ units.

Catedral said Benitez requested the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board in Western Visayas not to apprehend unconsolidated traditional PUJ operators.

Earlier, BACOD members went to the LTO-Bacolod office in Barangay Mansilingan’s Sitio Manayawsayaw, demanding clarification from the agency upon the expiration of the provisional authority last December 31, 2023.

LTO-6 said they have not received any orders from their central office to begin apprehending unconsolidated traditional PUJ operators.

Riza Otayde, LTO-6 public information officer, said they are currently conducting a routine inspection of vehicle registrations, and will only apprehend drivers who are operating with expired registration documents.

She said they will continue to apprehend drivers of private vehicles violating traffic rules and regulations.

The LTO-6 has been carrying out massive apprehensions targeting “colorum” vehicles since November 2023, and is strictly adhering to a “no registration, no travel” policy./DGB, WDJ