BAGUIO CITY – Acting City Mayor Faustino A. Olowan issued Executive Order No. 181, series of 2019 partially suspending the implementation of the provisions of Ordinance No. 001, series of 2003 otherwise known as the Baguio Number Coding Scheme as amended specifically for public utility jeepneys (PUJs) plying the city from December 27, 2019 to January 5, 2020.
However, those PUJ lines not included the aforesaid suspension are the PUJs plying the routes of La Trinidad, Aurora Hill and Trancoville.
Olowan stated that the inconvenience to the public caused by the worsened traffic in the city during the Yuletide season disturbs the comfort of the general public and significantly disrupts the celebration of the season, thus, the need for the local government to exercise powers that may help in easing such inconvenience.
For the past several days, local and foreign tourists flocked to the city to spend the celebration of the Yuletide season that have resulted to the occurrence of monstrous traffic congestion that caused inconveniences among the populace.
Further, it was also observed that there are long queues are formed in different jeepney terminals, especially during rush hours due to the increase in the number of residents going to and from the central business district and its nearby areas to join the numerous celebrations organized for the Yuletide merrymaking.
Olowan recognized the fact that due to the traffic build up in different areas in the city caused by the aforesaid factors, there has been difficulty for available PUJs to return to their terminals to serve the transport requirements of waiting commuters who had been in said terminals for a number of hours.
He asserted that there is an urgent need to aver the reported inadequacy of the number of available PUJs to accommodate the transport needs and provide faster mobility to both residents and visitors through the partial suspension of the Baguio Number coding Scheme.
According to him, the partial suspension of the Baguio Number coding Scheme for PUJs will also encourage both residents and visitors to commute and utilize the city’s public transport system in lieu of the use of private vehicles.
Section 7(a) of Ordinance No. 001, series of 2003 grants the City Mayor the power to suspend the implementation of the number coding scheme during the onslaught of natural calamities and public disturbances.
By HENT
File Photo by Armando M. Bolislis
