BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan urged jeepney operators and drivers in the city to set an example to their passengers by strictly adhering to the pertinent provisions of ordinances that will instil discipline among them and help in preserving the state of the city’s environment.
The local chief executive said that one of the ordinances that must be complied by the operators and drivers is the anti-smokebelching legislation that was enacted way back in 2008 to ensure the presence of lesser pollutants in the city’s air considering that bad smoke coming from motor vehicles has been identified as the major pollutant in the air.
Further, he urged jeepney operators and drivers to also comply with the strict implementation of the city’s anti-smoking policy so that their passengers will not be tempted to emulate them aside from making sure that they are grooming considering that they showcase the city as a clean and green local government.
Domogan administered the oath of office of the new set of officers of the United Metro Baguio-Benguet Jeepney Drivers and Operators Association during simple rites at the City Mayor’s Office Wednesday afternoon.
He assured that concerned offices of the local government and the city’s Traffic and Transportation Management Committee (TTMC) will review the clamor of some jeepney associations regarding the implementation of the window time for public utility vehicles in the morning so that they will be able to cater to the high volume of passengers from their points of origin going to the central business district area so that all issues and concerns will be appropriate acted upon.
He solicited the support of the new set of officers to continue educating drivers in adhering to proper discipline and behaviour when travelling along major roads and streets in the city to ensure that there will be lesser congestions considering that what has been observed by law enforcers and the public is that there are some undisciplined public utility vehicle drivers who are often pinpointed as the cause of traffic jams around the central business district area.
“The local government is mindful about the plight of our jeepney operators and drivers that is why we appeal to them to help discipline their ranks so that we will be able to have better public transport being heavily patronized not only by residents but also our increasing number of visitors,” Domogan stressed.
He also supported the plight of the jeepney operators and drivers for the Department of transportation to bring to the city the seminar that they are conducting relative to the plan of the government to modernize the jeepneys so as not to burden them or for those trained personnel of concerned agencies to be the ones to undergo the training in Metro Manila and for them to cascade the training to the local jeepney operators and drivers.
He claimed that while he supports the government’s jeepney modernization plan, there is a need for concerned government agencies to make sure that jeepney operators and drivers will not be burdened in complying with the standards imposed for the compliance of the operators and drivers to the upgrading of the jeepneys that play the streets daily.
By Dexter A. See
