No special permits released to traditional PUJ units in Cebu yet

A jeepney driver installs wood and plastic partitions to comply with physical distancing measures in the public vehicle once hailed as the King of the Road. | Inquirer photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board has not issued special permits to operate for traditional public utility jeepneys (PUJs) yet, two weeks since the Department of Transportation (DOTr) gave the green light for roadworthy units to ply the streets in Cebu.

LTFRB-7 Regional Director Eduardo Montealto Jr. said the Land Transportation Office (LTO) is still conducting roadworthiness inspections on the units seeking to operate.

The certificate of roadworthiness issued by the LTO is one of the requirements that the operators and drivers will need to comply with before the LTFRB will grant a special permit.

As of August 1, LTFRB-7 has opened 30 traditional PUJ routes where the PUJs can ply once granted special permits to operate.

READ: DOTr allows resumption of 14 traditional PUJ routes in Cebu

The LTFRB-7 can issue special permits to up to 667 traditional units distributed among the opened routes.

“Napun-a ni sya kay ni-open ang Cebu City. Katong gikan sa province lang nga mga ruta, na-extend. Ang uban naabot na og Cebu City,” Montealto said.

(These were added because Cebu City opened. The routes from the province are the ones that extended. Others will be able to reach Cebu City.)

“Kani pod atong traditional PUJs sa province, nagsugod na pod tag inspection sa ilang mga units para mahatagan na pod nato sila og special permits nga makabyahe sila,” he added.

(These traditional PUJs of the province are already being inspected so they can be given special permits to operate.)

Montealto said the LTO has already conducted roadworthiness inspections in Carcar City in southern Cebu and Catmon town in northern Cebu last week.

“Those who passed the roadworthiness inspection in the  two venues will be the first to apply for a special permit here [in LTFRB],” Montealto said in Cebuano.

“Gi-process pa ilang mga papel kay giandam pa ang ilang mga units katong kulang pa og mga barriers unya katong wala ka pasa, nag-fail sa emission testing, ila pod tong gipaningkamutan nga ma-correct ang findings,” Montealto added.

(Their papers are being processed because their units are being prepared, those that lack barriers. And those that didn’t pass and failed in the emission testing, they are also trying to correct the findings.)

On Thursday, August, 6, Montealto said the LTO will conduct another roadworthiness inspection in Liloan. /bmjo