Jeepney drivers warned against trip-cutting

PUBLIC utility vehicle (PUV) drivers who practice trip cutting will lose their license or pay fines ranging from P3,000 to P6,000.

Vice chairman Rey Elnar of the regional Land Transportation Franchise and Regulatory Board (LTFRB-7) issued this warning to passenger jeepney operators in a meeting on Monday afternoon.

“We told them (operators) that we will apprehend them (their drivers) and they will be penalized if they will cut trips,” Elnar told Cebu Daily News in a phone interview.

Elnar said several reports reached their office on the trip cutting practices especially by passenger jeepneys plying routes from Liloan town in northern Cebu to Mandaue City.

Some drivers would only ferry passengers until the national highway in Mandaue City instead of bringing them to nearby malls that is supposed to be their destination.

At least 20 operators joined the meeting held at the LTFRB-7 office located in Cebu City on Monday afternoon.

Operators reasoned during their meeting that their drivers are forced to cut their trips because they only have very few passengers to ferry to their destinations.
“Drivers should ply their original routes,” Elnar said.

He reminded operators that trip cutting could result to the driver’s apprehension and confiscation of their license and the issuance of a temporary operators permit (TOP).

Drivers will have to pay the P6,000 before they will be allowed to take back their licenses for the first offense.

Elnar said personnel of the Land Transportation Office (LTO-7) can also issue inspection report summon (IRS) that would require drivers to pay a P3,000 fine.

Subsequent offenses will already result in suspension and a possible cancellation of the vehicle’s franchise.