Jeepney, Beep stops, terminals unopposed

CEBU, Philippines — Land transportation regulators are not opposing the proposed ordinance seeking to establish proper jeepney and bus-jeep terminals and stops in Cebu City.

Joel Maloloy-on, chief of the Land Transportation Office in Cebu City, said the proposed ordinance would help solve traffic congestion in the city.

“LTO believes that this ordinance is one of the initiatives to solve traffic problems in the City of Cebu,” Maloloy-on said during the public hearing yesterday.

Councilors Raul Alcoseba and Eugenio Gabuya Jr. are pushing for the ordinance to improve the public transportation in the city. The proposed measure also seeks to penalize erring jeepney and Beep drivers, operators, and even passengers to instill discipline among commuters.

Maloloy-on, however, recommended an amendment to the draft ordinance to include the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board since the latter has jurisdiction over the granting of franchises. According to Maloloy-on, the LTO is only limited to vehicle registration.

Within one year from the effectivity of the proposed ordinance, concerned agencies together with the local government shall establish jeepneys and beep terminals, one in the south and one in the north.

Also, jeepney and Beep stops shall be established along usual routes, considerably in areas where passengers usually board and alight and these stops are required to be not less than 100 meters apart.

A seminar on traffic rules and regulations, road etiquette, the creation of the new terminals and stops, and also the penalties under the ordinance shall be conducted by the LTO and Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) every January and July of the year for PUJ and Beep drivers.

When a driver loads or unloads a passenger at a non-designated area, the penalty for first offense is P500 fine, P2,000 for the second offense, and P3,000 for the third offense plus the driver is required to undergo a traffic seminar.

The City Treasurer’s Office (CTO) shall collect the fines wherein 25 percent of which will go to the barangay where the offense was committed and the rest goes to the city government.  FPL (FREEMAN)