Gasoline stations eyed as jeepney stops in Cebu City

CCTO, TMC plan to meet with gas station operators this month

A traditional jeepney plies its route along N. Escario Street in Cebu City. | CDN File photo/Niña Mae Oliverio

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Gasoline stations will be the unloading and loading points for Public Utility Jeepneys (PUJs) if the proposal of the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) will be approved.

Racquel Arce, head of the Cebu City Transportation Office, identified undesignated stops of PUJs as one of the major contributors to heavy traffic congestion.

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Gasoline stations feasible areas for PUJ stops

“Kining presensya sa PUJ stops na usa na hinungdan sa heavy traffic so adunay proposal nga tanang PUJ stops dili na nato ipahigayon sa part sa kalsada,” Arce said on Tuesday, November 14.

(The presence of PUJ stops is one of the reasons of heavy traffic so we have a proposal that all PUJ stops would not be situated on part of the streets.)

Arce said that they identified gasoline stations as potential feasible areas to load or unload passengers.

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This is doable

“Doable ang gasoline stations kay di ba distansiya man na ang mga gasoline stations,” Arce said.

(The gasoline stations [as loading and unloading areas for PUJs] is doable because the gasoline stations are distances apart.)

However, she said that further discussion on the matter would take place during the meeting next week, where they planned to engage with the owners and operators of gasoline stations in Cebu City to gather their perspectives on the proposal.

“Willing ba sila mocooperate sa gobyerno? Mocooperate [ba sila] with the social responsibility?,” Arce said.

(Are they willing to cooperate with the government? Are they willing to have that social responsibility.)

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If implemented, PUJ stops would be removed

According to Arce, if this initiative would be implemented, all existing PUJ stops would be removed.

“In every kausaban, naa man gyud nay reactions. Labi na diri sa Cebu. Naanad ta na door-to-door. Di gani ta mo-mind if jeepney stop ba or dili ang atong ginaugan or gisakyan. Pagdisiplina lang gyud ni siya,” Arce said.

(In every change, there are always reactions. Especially here in Cebu. We are used to going door-to-door. We won’t even mind if we get off or get on the jeepney stop or not. We only discipline.)

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Senior citizens, PWDs

Moreover, Arce said that senior citizens would be given consideration.

“Atong senior citizens ug atong PWDs, siguro, aduna nay ipahigayon or konsiderayon,” Arce said.

(Our senior citizens and our PWDs, perhaps, there will be some consideration on them.)

Meanwhile, Cebu City Councilor Rey Gealon, head of the Traffic Management Committee, told CDN Digital on Tuesday, November 14, that considering the narrow roads in the city, they had to maximize their use by prohibiting vehicles from impeding traffic flow.

“There is no lay-by in our roads where vehicles can load and unload passengers out of the lanes, thus the need to improvise,” Gealon said.

CCTO, with the Traffic Management Committee (TMC), is set to conduct a meeting with all gasoline station operators on November 21.

/dbs