Antipolo City cracks down on jeepney barkers

MANILA, Philippines—Jeepney barkers are on their way out of the streets of Antipolo City, with those who defy the law facing a fine or 10 days in jail.

Antipolo officials have renewed a crackdown on barkers for public utility jeepneys (PUJ) in compliance with a 2007 city ordinance, resulting in the arrest of at least 30 people last week.

Glen Mandal, chief of the city’s traffic department, said that the revival of the campaign was spurred by the return of people who direct people to jeepneys waiting for passengers at street corners.

The practice, however, causes traffic to build up since the PUJs obstruct a portion of the road.

“They are not helping us. They merely block the road whenever they call [out to] passengers. In effect, they interfere with traffic,” Mandal said in a phone interview.

According to him, the ordinance has been in effect since 2007, prompting jeepney drivers plying the Antipolo routes to hire their own jeepney conductors.

“The barkers are back so we revived the 2007 campaign,” he said, adding that violators face a fine of P1,000 or imprisonment of 10 days.

Mandal said that most of the barkers who were arrested last week were not even residents of the city.

The apprehending team was composed of members of the traffic division and security division of the city government’s Public Order and Safety Department.

At the same time, city officials also asked the drivers not to encourage the barkers by giving them money as payment for their “services.”

Mandal said most of the arrests were made on Circumferential Road, P. Oliveros Street and in the vicinity of a mall and the Antipolo church.