MANILA, Philippines — A leader of a public transport group on Saturday urged the Land Transportation, Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to allow public utility jeepneys (PUJs) plying main thoroughfares to resume operations.
In a Laging Handa online press briefing, Liga ng Transportasyon at Operators sa Pilipinas (LTOP) president Orlando Marquez urged LTFRB Chairman Martin Delgra and Department of Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade to finally let the PUJs resume operations.
“[I]yong ating mga main thoroughfare na ruta ng mga jeepney, sana naman po ay makapasada na po sila para sa ganoon po ay hindi na po namamalimos sa kalsada iyong ating mga kasamahan sa jeepney transport sector po,” Marquez said.
(I hope the jeepneys plying on main thoroughfare routes will be allowed to operate so our drivers won’t have to beg for alms on the streets.)
“Iyong mga ruta po ng biyaheng Cubao, Antipolo na ruta ng mga jeep ay gusto naman po naming na ma-upgrade iyong aming mga jeepney at iyon pong mga rutang iyan, hanggang ngayon, hindi pa po nakakapasada iyong ating jeepney,” he added, citing some of the routes that are yet to be allowed by the LTFRB.
“Iyong mga ruta po na mga biyaheng Pasig-Quiapo ay sana po papasadahin na po iyong mga jeep, iyong pa-ruta ng Alabang-Zapote-Baclaran na napakaraming tao, iyon pong ruta dito sa Guadalupe hanggang FTI.”
(The routes of Pasig-Quiapo should also be opened for jeepneys, the Alabang-Zapote-Baclaran where so many people travel, the route from Guadalupe to FTI.)
Marquez said that should PUJs be allowed to resume operations on the said routes, operators and drivers will comply with minimum health protocols such as wearing face shields and face masks, as well as requiring their passengers to list down their names before boarding jeepneys as part of contact tracing.
The LTFRB previously allowed 1,333 PUJs serving 23 routes to be resume operations starting last Aug. 26.
Before this, 968 PUJs serving 15 routes were allowed to be back on the roads by the LTFRB.