Cebu City passenger jeepneys are encouraged to avail of the free dash cameras to be given by the Cebu City Transportation Office starting Monday, June 10 until June 28. | CDN file photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Some 1,000 free dashboard cameras or dashcams are given out to public utility jeepneys (PUJs) as a way to deter crimes or catch the culprits of a crime inside these jeepneys in Cebu City.
Francisco Ouano, Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) operations manager, said in a phone interview on Monday, June 10, that installing the dashcams would help the passengers feel more secure especially since there had been already multiple crimes that had happened inside PUVs (public utility vehicles) in Cebu City.
“Daghan man gyud kaayog panghitabo, labi na basta gabii. Usa gyud ni sa mga rason nganong nihatag ta og libre nga dash cam,” said Ouano.
(There were several incidents that usually happened at night inside the PUVs in the city. That is the reason we gave the free dashcams.)
He said that they started distributing the dashcams to PUJs starting June 10 until June 28.
As of June 10, the CCTO had released 84 dashcams to jeepney drivers and installed them at their vehicles.
He, however, said that for drivers to avail of the free dashcams they should submit a a photocopy of their driver’s license, the driver’s OR and CR and a photocopy of Franchise and Confirmation.
The free dashcam had a camera that could take videos from the back and the front of the vehicle, which Ouano said would be a big advantage not only for the passengers but also for the driver.
The dashcam could possibly prevent cars from bumping into the PUJ, and in case of an accident the dashcam footage could help determine who was really at fault.
Ouano also said that it would already be the responsibility of the driver once he would get his dash cam from the CCTO.
Ouano encouraged the drivers to take care of their dash cams, saying that it would definitely last long if they would take care of it properly.
The installation of dash cams was a part of outgoing Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeńa’s way of protecting the business process outsourcing workers who travel home late at night./dbs