Baguio PUJs urged: Ferry passengers up to 10 p.m.

By Dexter A. See

BAGUIO CITY – Outgoing mayor Mauricio G. Domogan urged operators and drivers of public utility jeepneys servicing barangays here to strictly comply with Ordinance No. 133 series of 2018 that extended their operations until 10 pm.

            He said reports being received by his office on failure of jeepney associations to comply with extended time to ferry passengers.    Earlier, the city council approved Ordinance No. 133 series of 2018 which amended certain provisions of Ordinance No. 066 series of 1995 which required public utility jeepneys in the city to service their passengers up to 10 pm.

The passage of the ordinance extending the operation of jeepneys up to 10 pm was an offshoot of the clamor from the public following the increased economic activities in the different parts of the city that extended working hours.

Dismissal o

f students from higher education institutions in the city has been moved up to 9 p.m. which warranted cooperation of jeepney operators and drivers to extend operations beyond the 9 pm requirement prescribed under the previous ordinance.

Domogan said it is important for jeepney operators and drivers to consider onset of the rainy season when PUJs are needed by the public.

He urged barangay officials to coordinate with officers of jeepney associations servicing their areas to work out a scheme to ensure PUJs are in their parking areas up to 10 p.m. to avoid people lining up in the parking areas waiting for their rides home.

He added coordination must also be done with the Baguio City Police office to formulate schemes to reduce traffic congestion in major roads so PUJs from barangays could immediately go back to the central business district area and vice versa, especially during the heavy rains.

One problem of jeepneys plying the city’s routes is the difficulty of going back to their points of destinations and places of origin because of traffic jams.