THE Bacolod City Council approved a resolution requesting the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to extend the deadline for public utility jeepney (PUJ) consolidation process relative to the PUJ modernization program in consideration of the impact of Covid-19 pandemic to the transportation.
The resolution was authored by Councilor Dindo Ramos, chairperson of the City Council committee on transportation.
Ramos said the PUJ modernization program of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) is being implemented this year where deadlines were set for all PUJ operators in Bacolod City owning an aggregate of more than 4,000 PUJ units have partially complied with the initial requirement for consolidation and registration.
He said the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic this year has affected everyone, and most especially the transport sector where all kinds of mass transportation were suspended during several enhanced community quarantine lockdown periods imposed in the city.
He added the DOTr has set December 31, 2020 as the deadline for all PUJ operators to consolidate all units into either a cooperative or corporation to be able to operate as public utility vehicle.
Ramos noted that based on the data from LTFRB-Western Visayas, only about 10 percent of the total units in Bacolod City has been either approved or has their applications pending with their office.
Republic Act 11469 or Bayanihan to Heal as One Act and Republic Act 11494 or Bayanihan to recovers as one act has many provisions to provide safety nets for all who had been deeply affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, with specific provision directing the DOTr to extend assistance to critically impacted businesses in the transport industry.
Ramos disclosed that the city needs to provide support to its constituents in the transport industry particularly those directly affected by the December 31, 2020 deadline for PUJ consolidation by requesting LTFRB to extend its deadline due to above stated circumstances.