Transport regulators started Wednesday its hearing on trip-cutting complaint filed by the City of Manila against public utility jeepneys (PUJs) plying Baclaran-Divisoria route.
“This is the start of the two-part hearing of the trip-cutting case filed by the City of Manila led by Mayor Isko (Moreno Domagoso) when we had a dialogue. And this is what we have done, to initiate an investigation,” Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) chairman Martin Delgra III said.
In an interview with Delgra at the LTFRB Central Office, he bared that there are more than 300 operators plying the said route which were divided into two hearings.
On the first part done on Wednesday, Delgra said some operators admitted they are cutting their trips as it is hard for them to enter “clogged roads” in Divisoria.
According to Delgra, the operators were blaming the vendors on Divisoria’s streets which were also cleared by the local government recently and are now open to vehicles.
“We found out that their trip cutting continued even after the road to Divisoria was already cleared. So we want to be clear to them that they are not allowed to cut their trips short,” he explained.
Delgra warned PUJ drivers who practice trip cutting that they can be penalized and will be fined P5,000 for first offense, P10,000 plus impounding of the unit for 30 days for second offense, and possible cancelation of franchise for third offense.
“Our message to the operators is let us unite. Let us follow Mayor Isko’s directive of ‘order on the road’,” he said.
Domagoso called on the LTFRB last week to suspend the franchises of jeepneys plying Baclaran-Divisoria routes after learning that they are cutting their trips short.
The Manila mayor also warned PUJ drivers plying other routes such as MCU-Blumentritt, Cubao-Divisoria, Maypajo-Juan Luna, Faura-Pedro Gil, Paco, to complete their trips or face possible suspension.
“I am not after the penalty. I am after the order. I want the employees, normal workers, laborers to pay the exact fare and to complete their trip after their eight hours of work,” Domagoso earlier said. (Alexandria San Juan)