900 jeeps back on Cebu City roads

CEBU, Philippines — More than 900 traditional public utility jeepneys (TPUJs) have been allowed to hit the streets of Cebu City once again.

They are allowed to operate under the Balik Pasada Permit (BPP), said Councilor James Cuenco, the city’s Jeepney Task Force (JTF) chief.

With the demand for public transportation, Cuenco said, the BPPs were issued to TPUJs allowing them to ply the city streets 24/7.

“The Balik Pasada permits that we have given out entitle them to operate 24/7, no exceptions. But, it’s up to the operators and drivers whether they would ply the routes nga kaning naa sa gabii,” he said.

He said though no PUVs, at present, are plying beyond 9 p.m. in the city.

“The lack of PUVs at night is the concern of night commuters, especially the frontliners and the business process outsourcing (BPO) employees,” he said.

Another concern is the trip-cutting of TPUJs, said Cuenco.

“In Quiot, TPUJs deliberately short-cut their routes and refuse to enter Bayanihan, all the way to Sabellano Street,” he said.

He said the said route is being served by buses.

The Jeepney Task Force earlier fielded six modern jeepneys to Quiot and Oppra, Kalunasan to meet the transportation demands there.

Moreover, Cuenco said more TPUJ operators and drivers have joined cooperatives as the first step to availing of the loan for their new units.

“PUJs are still lacking, but thankfully daghan nagsulod nga modernized jeepneys. Eventually kaning mga TPUJs mo-transition naman sila to modernized units,” he said.

On the other hand, the councilor said 70 buses are currently plying the city routes, but operators have been pulling out their units every 15 days.

“So far, I think mga 12 or 18 na ang namalik na sa probinsya. Hinay-hinay, hangtod karon naghuwat pako sa word from the LTFRB kung unsa man gud ilang target, kanus-a man gyud ni sila mo-uli na ba, mo-uli tanan so that we will be ready also. Mapun-an nato ang nawagtan nila na capacity,” he said.

“So, we need to anticipate karon pa lang daan kung unsa gyud plano sa mga buses kay dili pwede mokalit rag pull out, naay mabakante,” he added. —KQD (FREEMAN)