Bacolod City – The Bacolod Alliance for Commuters Operators and Drivers, Inc. (BACOD, Inc.), together with representatives of the United Drivers and Operators Center, and Bayan-Negros, requested the suspension, review and amendment of City Ordinance No. 966.
Lilian Sembrano, BACOD secretary general, appeared before the Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod during its regular session yesterday, to request the SP for legislative support against C.O. 966, to address the issues which have caused traditional jeepney operators of Bacolod so much burden.
Sembrano said that 20 days had passed since they wrote Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez for a dialog to address their concerns. However, the mayor did not heed their request. So they resorted to “untat byahe” or transport strike to get his attention.
They wanted to verify the claims of LTFRB 6 that he (Benitez) does not want to grant them provisional authority (PA) to be able to continue their operation. They were also informed that Memorandum Circular 2023-017, which extended the provisional authority to Dec. 3, is not applicable to Iloilo and Bacolod, she said.
Sembrano said their “untat byahe” was a legal and legitimate move to get the attention of the local government.
Councilor Al Victor Espino, chairman of the SP Committee on Transportation, said they have brought the concerns of the local transport group to Manila.
The resolution supporting LTFRB Memorandum Circular 2023-017, extending the deadline for industry consolidation for routes, and extending the validity of the provisional authority issued under Memorandum Circular No. 2022-033 until Dec. 31, was approved by the Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod yesterday.
Authored by Councilor Al Victor Espino, the resolution said Memorandum Circular 2022-017 recalls MC 2023-013 which provides for the deadline for public utility vehicles (PUV) to consolidate into a single cooperative or corporation, which is on June 30.
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) extended the June 30 deadline until Dec. 31 for franchise consolidation of public transport modes under the PUV Modernization Program (PUVMP), it said.
The new LTFRB Memorandum Circular is in line with the President’s directive to further review the PUV modernization program and to evaluate the stakeholder’s level of compliance, the resolution said.
The LTFRB will continue to put forward for the consolidation and will consult with the stakeholders to produce a better public transport modernization program that is beneficial both to operators and drivers, as well as the commuting public, it said.
The resolution said the modernization program is in line with the government’s efforts to enforce stricter rules and regulations in promoting compliance with road safety standards and in adherence with the law, and providing quality service to commuters.
The City of Bacolod supports this Memorandum Circular to heed the call of traditional jeepney drivers and operators to give them ample amount of time to comply with the directives of the LTFRB, it said.
The resolution added that the City of Bacolod is committed in promoting the welfare of the community and its constituents. (Chrysee Semillano via The Visayan Daily Star (TVDS), photo courtesy of TVDS)
