THE city government of Bacolod is only waiting for the evaluation of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) central office on the three-day simulation exercise or pilot testing of all approved Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP) routes in Bacolod City.
City Administrator Atty. Pacifico Maghari III said Thursday, June 29, that the three-day exercise, from June 25 to 27, was a successful activity with no untoward major incidents reported.
“We are now waiting for the report to be given to us by the LTFRB-Central Office, maybe next month, to determine if the 1,099 modernized jeepneys are sufficient as well as the new approved routes in the city,” he said.
He added the activity will determine the viability of all LPTRP routes that were earlier approved by the LTFRB for the implementation of the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP), where 44 routes have now been merged into 24 new routes.
Maghari noted that the activity was attended by at least 1,600 public utility vehicles, both modernized and traditional jeepneys.
City Mayor’s Office records showed that as of June 23, Bacolod City had a total of 900 traditional jeepneys and 555 modernized vehicles that were allowed to operate by the LTFRB.
Maghari said some drivers encountered problems, but they were also immediately addressed to maintain the smooth flow of traffic, like in the area along SM City Mall.
“Some drivers failed to follow the two minute-rule for the picking up of passengers,” he said.*