By Edison Quiñanola, Inayawan, Cebu City
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) launched the Public Vehicle Modernization Program last 2017. The program allows local government units to provide the route and the designated stops for modern jeepneys. In 2018, the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) provided designated stops for these modern jeepneys.
This writer had a firsthand experienced in riding the modern jeep. It has been my observation that these modern jeepneys do not follow the rules on loading and unloading of their passengers on designated stops. These modern jeepneys allow their passengers to embark and disembark on non-designated pick-up and drop-off points. They even allow passengers to board on junctions, especially if it is on stop signal.
This is in contrast to the buses operated by one of the malls in Cebu. Their buses leave on time and only pick up and unload passengers in designated stops.
The CCTO and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board should check these modern jeepneys if they are compliant with the regulation on loading and unloading of passengers.
We have been experiencing a surge of vehicles and commuters on our streets. We are finding ways to solve the traffic problem. Yet, our public vehicle drivers do not follow one of the basic ways of solving traffic jam—that is following the rule on loading and unloading only on designated areas.