Itogon folk urge more public jeep franchises

By Susan Aro

ITOGON, Benguet – Residents of Barangay Loacan here urged the Department of Transportation and Communications to grant additional public utility vehicle franchise in the area due to increasing population.

Itogon officials backed up through a resolution the petition-letter of residents urging DOTC regional Director Celina Claver to grant franchises to additional five PUVs plying the route Baguio-Plaza-Loacan (Antamok).

The provincial board in support to the Itogon measure, had passed a resolution endorsing the municipal resolution as the number of jeeps catering to commuters from Loacan, Antamok going to Baguio City were no longer enough.

An earlier request was forwarded to DOTC in 2003 but was not acted upon since the resolution from the Baguio City government in endorsing the request came late in 2010, according to the provincial board’s committee on public utilities chaired by Bernard Waclin.

The committee said the request was urgent as it may cause problems to residents, the committee report stated.