Baguio Public Transport route plan wrapped up

The City Government of Baguio has finally completed the city’s Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP).

The LPTRP will be the absolute blueprint of the road network and details of the required mode and number of PUV units to serve the city. It will be the comprehensive basis for effective delivery of public land transport service in the City. (Baguio City LPTRP, P.2)

As reported by the Traffic and Transportation Management Division (TTMD) of the City Engineering Office (CEO), the LPTRP prepared by the city government has been found compliant with the existing guidelines set by the  Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board-CAR.

In compliance with DILG-DOT JMC No.001, Series of 2017, the Baguio City Council approved on first reading a proposed ordinance adopting the city’s LPTRP.

The adoption of the LPTRP into an ordinance shall pave the way for the consolidation of numerous and replicated routes of public utility jeepneys (PUJs) into a few 28 rationalized routes with six additional development routes, leading to more systematic management and monitoring by the concerned government agencies.

The rationalized routes and additional development routes are as follows:

Mines View Line with 83 authorized units, Navy Base-Pacdal Liteng Line (66), Padcal Maria Basa-Tiptop Line (33), Country Club-Lucban-Happy Hallow Line (46), Loakan Airport-EPZA Line (85), PNR-Green Water-Military Cut Off-Hillside-Gabriela Silang-Dagsian Line (45), Camp John Hay-Scout Barrio (50), BGH-Campo Sioco Line (42), City Camp District Line (47), PMA-Kias Line (82), Kennon Line (158), Bakakeng Line (113), Crystal Cave Line (37), Dontogan Line (100), Palispis-Sto Nino-Kitma Line (28)-Guisad Valley Line (29), Fairview Line (31), Pinsao Pilot Line (30), Asin San Luis Line (93), Lourdes Dominican Line (30), Quezon Hill Line (65), San Carlos Heights Line (67), Quirino Highway Line (116), Quirino Hill Line (51), Pinget Line (46), Aurora Hill District Line (150), Trancovill District Line (154) Honeymoon-Holyghost Brookside Line (31);

Circumferential Line 1 (Quirino Highway-Munoz Drive-Asin Road-Puyat Avenue-Palispis Highway- Balacbac Bakakeng Camp & Bypass Road-Kennon Road-Yandoc Street-Chuntug Street-Abanao Street-Quirino Highway-Vice Versa) (8);

Circumferential Line 2 (Buhagan Road-Magsaysay Avenue-M. Roxas Road-Leonard Wood Road-Poblete Drive-South Drive-Loakan Road-Kenon Road-Vice Versa) (8);

Tourism Line 1 Mines View (𝘞𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 – Mines View-Outlook Drive-Romulo Drive-Leonard Wood Road-Upper Session Road-T Kalaw Street-Harrison Road-Gov Pack Road-UP Drive. 𝘌𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 – UP Drive-T Kalaw Street-Session Road-North Drive-Leonard Wood Road-Gibraltar Road-Mines View) (4);

Tourism Line 2 Camp John Hay-PMA (𝘕𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 – PMA-CJH-Loakan Road-Session Road Extension-T Kalaw Street-Harrison Road-Gov Pack Road-UP Drive. 𝘚𝘰𝘶��𝘩𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 – UP Drive-T Kalaw Street-Session Road Extension-Loakan Road-CJH-PMA) (4);

Tourism Line 3 Lourdes Grotto – Mirador (𝘌𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 – Dominican Road-Quirino Highway-Yandoc Street- Chuntug street-Salvosa Drive-Shanum Street-Lake Drive. 𝘞𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 – Lake Drive-Shanum Street-Baustista Drive-Chuntug Street-Abanao Road-Quirino Highway-Tacay Road-Longlong Road) (4); and

Tourism Line 4 Tam-awan Village (𝘚𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 – Longlong Road-Tacay Road-Quirino Highway-Yandoc Street-Chuntug Street-Salvosa Drive-Shanum Street-Lake Drive. 𝘕𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 – Lake Drive-Shanum Street-Bautista Drive-Chuntug Street-Abanao Road-Quirino Highway-Tacay Road-Longlong Road) (4)

The LPTRP, as adopted into local law, shall also provide jeepney commuters with a convenient mode of transportation and broader and accessible routes from home to the destination and vice versa.

Likewise, it shall provide jeepney operators and drivers equitable income and benefits in accordance with existing laws, rules, and regulations.

According to the proposed ordinance, the LPTRP can be modified, amended, expanded, or updated, such as by shortening, extending, or changing the routes, any time during its effectivity as determined by the TTMD or any authorized office to be created if any to suit the transportation demands and development requirements of the city in accordance with applicable rules and regulations.

The proposed ordinance stated that all franchises issued under the LPTRP shall be granted only to qualified operators in accordance with existing rules and regulations under a fully transparent, competitive, and equitable selection process where the primary consideration shall be the interest of the traveling public. This shall promote and maintain market competition in the routes under the LPTRP and prevent the existence of monopolistic practices by any operator or group of operators.

The proposed ordinance also stipulated that the LTFRB shall impose appropriate sanctions or penalties, including the suspension or cancellation of the franchise against any operator who will violate the LPTRP or commit any act inimical to the interest of the travelling public in the city. -Jordan G. Habbiling