Wednesday, January 24, 2007 Service waiting areas in schools sought By Ernie N. Olson Jr.
THE Baguio Federation of Parent-Teachers-Community Associations (BFPTCA) will request the City Council to enact laws that would prioritize the safety, as well as security of Baguio's students and pupils, particularly with regard the operation of school service vehicles.
Transportation Regional Director Alfredo Mondiguing, who met with officers and directors of BFPTCA, said: "We will request the City Council to enact an ordinance that would require all schools to provide adequate waiting spaces for service vehicles because only small spaces are needed for the loading and unloading of students and pupils."
Mondiguing added that all school service drivers should also be required to present clearances from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), police and other concerned government agencies and offices to make sure that those with prior and pending criminal charges would not be allowed to join their ranks.
BFPTCA president Dominador Roxas Jr. said "the safety of our children is one of our main concerns because we don't want them running around and crossing the streets unnecessarily because this could cause accidents."
"If we have properly identified loading and unloading spaces for school service vehicles, our children would be constrained to wait beside these spaces and not run around streets and alleys while waiting for their rides," he added.
Roxas said they have received reports in the past, which showed that some school children have been victims of "promiscuous" drivers.
Other BFPTCA directors in attendance during the meeting were Baguio Association of Vocational and Technical Schools (Bavts) president Jimmy Mondiguing, National Service Training Program (NSTP) Regional Director Dominador Umipig, BFPTCA director Albert Salbino, and BFPTCA public relations officer Ricky Give.
