Garcia to appeal PUV hierarchy in areas under GCQ, MGCQ

Prototype of plastic shields in a jeepney. | Photo Courtesy of Councilor Jerry Guardo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia will be making an appeal before the national government to waive the hierarchal arrangement of deploying public utility vehicles (PUVs) in areas with more relaxed quarantine restrictions.

Garcia, in a report by the Capitol-ran Sugbo News, said she would be writing formal letters to the Department of Transportation (DOTr), the Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB), and the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) requesting to waive the hierarchy requirement.

“So ako moy mosuwat sa DOTr ug IATF requesting for a provisional authority nga i-waive usa to ang hierarchy pending the approval of your application…” Garcia was quoted on saying.

(So I will write the DOTr and the IATF requesting for a provisional authority to waive for now the heirarchy pending the approval of your application…)

The governor said that she would be including in her requests ‘proof’ that around 80 percent of Cebu province’s jeepney drivers and operators had consolidated as a group in support of the government’s jeepney modernization program.

“In fact consolidated na 80 percent, and the rest of the 20 (percent) are very much willing to join the coops that are already consolidated, and with the further commitment nga once ma-approve ang ilang application, ready na ang units, ilisdan na na,” Garcia said.

(In fact it is already consolidated by 80 percent and the rest of the 20 percent are very much willing to join the coops that are already consolidated and with the further commitment that once their application is approved, there units are ready to be replaced.)

The governor gathered officials from LTFRB and Land Transportation (LTO) in Central Visayas, operators and drivers of PUJs in Cebu province, several transport groups, and government bank representatives in a meeting in Liloan town last Friday, July 17.

The agenda was ‘to discuss the loan facility that Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) and Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) can offer to jeepney drivers and operators who will be part of the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP).

PUJs in Cebu province back on provincial roads

During the event, LTFRB -7 Director Eduardo Montealto Jr. greenlighted Garcia’s suggestions for public utility jeepneys (PUJs) to operate back on provincial and barangays roads as feeders to buses and mini-buses plying on national highways.

However, both the Capitol and LTFRB – 7 stressed that operators of jeepneys in the province would not be allowed to return to their regular routes yet.

Garcia’s appeal to lift the hierarchy requirement of dispatching PUVs in areas under general community quarantine (GCQ) and modified GCQ (MGCQ) stemmed from LTFRB’s Memorandum Circular 2020-017 that mandating such directives.

Based on the memorandum, tourist buses are given priority to operate back on the roads. They are followed with Omnibus franchising guidelines-compliant PUJs, UV Express Service, traditional PUJs operated by cooperatives or fleet-managed, and tourist vans respectively.

For his part, Montealto reminded operators and drivers that their vehicles should pass the motor vehicle inspection system (MVIS) or roadworthiness test.

LTO – 7 Director Victor Emmanual Caindec, meanwhile, was quoted saying that their office would be sending inspectors to the houses or garages of PUJ operators and drivers if it meant expediting the latter’s return to the roads.

Most parts of Cebu province is currently in a state of MGCQ while the towns of Minglanilla and Consolacion, and Talisay City are the only ones that remained under  GCQ. /dbs