CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) and the Land Transportation Office (LTO) showed support and posed no objection to a proposed ordinance establishing Beep and bus stops in Cebu City.
In a public hearing on Tuesday, February 18, 2020, representatives of the two transport agencies appeared before the City Council to discuss the proposed ordinance authored by Councilors Raul Alcoseba and Eugenio Gabuya, Jr.
Joel Maloloy=on, the Cebu City District chief of LTO, said the LTO supports the move of the City Council to pass an ordinance identifying particular stops for Beeps and jeepneys.
He said this would help alleviate traffic congestion with the public utility vehicles (PUV) having specific stops along their routes instead of universal jeepney stops that are being used currently allowing the PUVs to stop indiscriminately anywhere along the route.
“This is a good initiative from the local government unit (LGU) to solve the traffic problem,” said Maloloyon.
The LTFRB also approved of the ordinance but sought to clarify a few sections especially on the penalties for violating drivers.
In Section 8 of the proposed ordinance, violation of the ordinance multiple times may result in revocation of the franchise of the PUV and the perpetual revocation of the driver’s license.
Lawyer Edwin Antipuesto, legal officer of the LTFRB in the region, said the LGU cannot immediately revoke the licenses of PUVs as only the LTFRB can do so.
This goes as well with the revocation of drivers’ licenses, as this matter should be addressed to the LTO.
Antipuesto said that multiple erring franchises may face complaints from the city government at LTFRB who will then decide whether to suspend or revoke their licenses.
Councilor Gabuya told LTO and LTFRB in session that they will consider the position of the two agencies in the final draft of the ordinance.
The ordinance would establish a terminal for Beeps and jeepneys, one in the north district and another in the south district, which would each have an office for operations, a restroom open to the public, and a waiting shed.
Along the routes of the jeepneys and Beeps, they will have an established stop where they are allowed to load and unload passengers specific for their routes. This will allow the passengers of a particular route to wait only at certain stops. /rcg
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