Mayor Isko seeks suspension of Baclaran-Divisoria jeepney route
Credit to Author: Tempo Desk| Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2019 09:12:47 +0000
MAYOR Isko Moreno
The local government of Manila will ask the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to suspend the franchise of all jeepneys with Baclaran-Divisoria route for cutting trips, Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso bared Tuesday.
The mayor said he made the decision after receiving persistent complaints about the cutting trips by jeepney drivers despite the clearing of illegal vendors in Divisoria.
“We will file a suspension of franchise before the LTFRB. I will not be the complainant. It will be the City of Manila, the City government of Manila will file a suspension of the entire Baclaran-Divisoria line,” he said during the press conference at the Manila City Hall.
However, Domagoso said the proposed suspension would only be temporary.
“I would leave it to the LTFRB to decide the duration of the suspension, if it approves the proposal,” he added.
Cutting trips means jeepney drivers were not completing their routes to avoid heavy traffic and they were asking passengers to descend far from their original destinations.
If the LTFRB would suspend the route, jeepneys would not be allowed to travel directly between the two high-traffic areas.
The mayor said the complaint is now being drafted following his meeting with LTFRB Chairman Martin Delgra.
Domagoso also mulled the suspension of routes of other public utility vehicles.
“MCU-Blumentritt, don’t wait for us to also suspend you. Cubao-Divisoria, Maypajo-Juan Luna, Faura-Pedro Gil, Paco, many Manileños are also complaining about you. Velasquez, that’s only in Tondo but you refused to follow. That’s few blocks away,” he said.
“I’m not after the penalty. I am after the order. I am trying to reach out to more people as possible. I want the employees, normal workers, laborer to pay the exact fare and to complete their trip after their eight hours of work,” he added.
It can be recalled that Domagoso asked the leaders of jeepney drivers’ associations on July to tell their fellow drivers not to cut trips. (Erma Edera)