JEEPNEY drivers are opposing nuisances of the night market operations.
Facing the Baguio City Council on Monday, Geoffrey Tongawan, representing jeepney associations along Perfecto Street said current operations of the night market is already causing discomfort for jeeps plying the Harrison Road–Lake Drive area and lamented the planned expansion of the night market will further disrupt operations.
Tongawan said jeeps along Perfecto Street area operate until 12midnight and if the extension pushes through, would adversely affect operations of jeeps stationed in the area.
A petition submitted to the local council signed by over 1,000 stated fears for safety of the public if the extension pushes through.
“We were informed by the BCPO that Baguio City is one of the target(s) for terrorism, likewise we are concerned for our safety and security of our commuters and our utility services, we oppose the night market extension in Perfecto Street to use our terminals. Since we have an agreement to render our service to our commuters until 11 p.m., especially on holidays with occasions in Baguio,” the petition said.
The petition is signed by 1,554 oppositors composed of officers, operators, drivers and commuters of Kias –PMA, Scout Barrio, Balsigan, Campo Sioco, Green Water, Military Cut off, Gabriela Silang, Bakakeng Norte, Sur and Central support submitted to aldermen and the Baguio City Market Authority (BCMA) which recently approved the night market extension along Perfecto Street.
Tongawan said current operations of the night market have also been causing problems for the commuting public with vendors setting up earlier than the agreed 9 p.m. closure of the road causing jeeps to reroute and pedestrians to lose the sidewalk.
Councilor Michael Lawana has backed complaints of jeepney leaders and has signified opposition to the extension plans.
Councilor Leandro Yangot, member of the BCMA said the night market vendors must clean up their act or be in danger of seeing the close of the entire operations of the daily market at the city streets.
Yangot said the health department is currently doing a study on the fate of food vendors at the night market and only approved their selling temporarily pending results of the study and a meeting of the BCMA.
“The implementation of such proposal will greatly affect our commuters at night specially students whom we service as late as 10pm to 11pm. We believe the present location of the night market along Harrison road is already good enough and the proposed increase of vendors who occupy our terminals will cause an overcrowding and congestion with the blocked people, no open spaces and outlet for emergency purposes,” the petition read.
Previously, Mayor Mauricio Domogan has stood firm on the decision to expand the night market to Perfecto Street which will cater to to walk in vendors who have been waiting for slots in the Harrison road stretch in vain for years despite the appeals to stop expansion to keep profits within reach.
Opposition has also been raised by the Night Market Association which fears a decrease in sales for over 1,000 vendors selling daily along the stretch of Harrison road.