Jeep owners, drivers told: Service routes until 9 p.m.

BAGUIO CITY -- City officials urged jeepney operators and drivers here to strictly comply with ordinance no. 66, series of 1995 as amended by ordinance no. 133, series of 2018.
    Under resolution no. 558, series of 2022, local legislators said the passage of the resolution shall serve as a warning to all jeepney operators and drivers in the city for strict compliance to the said ordinances to ensure that residents will be able to reach their homes safe and sound.
    During the Scout Officials for A Day (SOFAD) regular session held on Nov. 7, 2022, the SOFAD Council adapted the proposal of SOFAD councilor John Zaiveor R. del Mundo which urged all jeepney operators and drivers to strictly comply with Ordinance No. 133, series of 2018, which mandates jeepney operators and drivers to provide jeepney units for passengers until 9 pm.
    The council anchored the passage of this resolution to provisions of the 1987 Constitution which mandates promotion of general welfare of citizens, where the State shall promote a shift towards safe, secure, efficient, viable, competitive, dependable, integrated environmentally sustainable, people-oriented, and inclusive transportation system for the benefit of all citizens, the economy and society.

Ordinance no. 133, series of 2018, mandates that all jeepney operators and drivers associations operating within the city, except inter-municipality jeepneys, shall at all times maintain available units for passengers from 8 to 10 pm, under the following schemes, not less than 3 units for associations with no more than 15 units; not less than 5 units for associations with 16-25 units; not less than 8 units for associations with 26-35 units and not less than 10 units for associations with more than 35 units.

In case of merger of 2 or more associations, it shall maintain the required minimum number of jeepney units for routes being serviced.

For single associations servicing 2 or more routes, it shall maintain the required minimum number of units per route as specified under the aforesaid condition.

However, nothing in the said ordinance shall prohibit any jeepney operator, driver, or jeepney operators and drivers’ association from extending their services beyond the mandatory operation of jeepneys set in the ordinance.

The number of units specified in the ordinance may be increased by the traffic and Transportation Management Committee (TTMC) when public necessity requires the same.

The council said Baguio, being a highly urbanized city, not only requires movement of the people from morning to afternoon, but also during night time by both night shift workers and students, particularly those enrolled in college. -- Dexter A. See