Move to get old jeepneys off the streets opposed

CEBU, Philippines – Representative Luigi Quisumbing (Cebu, sixth district) has expressed his opposition on the move to eliminate the aging public utility jeepneys and buses, saying apart from taking out the livelihood of the drivers, it will also lessen the available transportation especially that there has no alternative plan to replace them.

“I am not in favor of that. It’s difficult to have a regulation on livelihood without compensatory one (for the drivers). It’s not just the drivers and their immediate families that get affected by this, but also the routes these PUJs traverse,” Quisumbing said.

Even if the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board may decongest the roads in his district, especially Mandaue City, he said there are also adverse effects if the said agency would push it through.

The LTRFB has already announced that it will no longer renew the franchise of PUJs and buses aging 15 years and above.

But since the power of Congress is only to investigate or call for a public hearing,  he said they should “compensate” to the drivers for their livelihood that’s going to be affected.

Meanwhile, the lawmaker said that the traffic problems in Mandaue City can be addressed by expanding the city’s roads, creating new routes and improving mass transits.

He said the traffic congestion is a result of the rise of cars from different cities and towns that traverse in Mandaue.

“It is really the vehicle volume. At the end of the day, you have as many cars that traverse Mandaue on a daily basis (yet the roads are the same),” he said.

But he said the Department of Public Works and Highways had already “committed” to make a feasibility study on the city’s problematic traffic “so we can get the end of it.”

He said a diversion road from the South Road Properties to the North Reclamation Area going to Consolacion will also ease out traffic. He said this route is one of the heaviest in terms of vehicular traffic as many huge trucks and people going to the airport and to the north use this. Hence, he said a diversion road should also be in place.

Quisumbing said the city is congested being the center of the province and near the airport in Lapu-Lapu City.

“A third bridge, expansion on our road networks…we have to look out long-term solutions. The population will always rise, there will be more people. As good as economy of Cebu is doing, more people are attractive to work here, and that means more vehicles,” he said. (FREEMAN)