CITOM now targeting Burgos St. "terminal"

CEBU, Philippines - Traffic enforcers in Cebu City will intensify the apprehension of Mandaue City-bound public utility jeepneys whose drivers insist on plying the city’s streets in violation of an existing ordinance and even making a pick-up point of P. Burgos St. in front of Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral.

Rafael Yap, executive officer of the City Traffic Operations Management, said if concerned drivers continue to ignore the existing City Ordinance 1837 they might be compelled to impound their jeepneys after the third apprehension as provided for under CO 2072.

City Ordinance 1837, which was enacted several years ago, regulates the operations of public utility vehicles in Cebu City by allowing jeepneys plying outside the Cebu City routes only up to the accredited terminals.

In the case of the Mandaue City-bound vehicles they are allowed only up to the SM terminal, White Gold terminal and Ayala terminal, but for the past several years the Mandaue-bound jeepneys continue to ply along M.J. Cuenco Ave., then to Manalili St. and have even made a “terminal” of P. Burgos Street.

Mayor Michael Rama and Yap explained that their move is not retaliation to the resolution of Mandaue City banning garbage trucks from outside their city that would affect the plan of Cebu City to dump their garbage at a private landfill in Consolacion.

“Dili uy dugay na kaayo ni nga balaud unya karon lang ipatuman kay nakadawat mi og daghang reklamo,” said Yap.

At first, the city had strictly enforced the ban of Mandaue-bound jeepneys passing Gen. Maxilom Ave. to Fuente Osmeña, and down to Plaza Independencia. The drivers were forced to stop plying the road after CITOM enforcers used Temporary Operators Permits against the violators.

“Kon dili g’yud sila mopatoo gamitan na usab namo sila’g TOP,” said Yap. If the traffic enforcer will use TOP, the license of an erring driver will be confiscated, unlike when the enforcer will only use a traffic citation ticket.

But even if the enforcers will not use a TOP, the jeepney operators are afraid if CITOM will impound their units through the provisions of CO 2072.

Many owners of vehicles can no longer afford to redeem their units because of the huge impounding fees and accumulated penalties at the CITOM’s Traffic Violations Bureau.

Some of the vehicles impounded by CITOM have huge accumulated fines ranging from P100,000 to P200,000 because their owners failed to settle their traffic violations for the past years. (FREEMAN)