March 29, 2024

Due to mounting concerns on the lack of public transportation plying to and from La Trinidad, Benguet to Baguio City, the local government unit of La Trinidad has requested the city government of Baguio to allow 50 more public utility jeepneys to ferry passengers during rush hours.

“There is a lack of PUJs in the morning and afternoon so we requested the city for a special permit that both our LGUs could give to the jeepney drivers for them to ferry passengers from La Trinidad,” Mayor Romeo Salda said.

At present, the limited number of authorized jeepneys will only ply from 5 to 8 a.m. and from 4 to 8:30 p.m. Only 11 out of the 22 jeepney units plying from Shilan, La Trinidad to Baguio City are allowed to enter the city at any given time.

Earlier, hundreds of residents of La Trinidad were stranded for hours in the city because no PUJs could ferry them. The municipal government was left with no recourse but to fetch the passengers with its own vehicles while other private car owners also volunteered to ferry the stranded passengers. 

Municipal Planning and Development Coordinator Vicente Perez, Jr. said they will also request the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board to grant the municipality additional 36 units. 

The requested units will ply the 20 routes in the municipality including Shilan to Baguio City as well as the intra-municipal routes – Km. 5 to swamp area, Km. 5 to Motorpool with four units, Puguis Elementary School to Lamtang with four units, Km. 5 market to Longlong with two units, Km. 5 market to Windy Hill with two units, Alno to Km. 6 with two units, Bineng to Km. 6 with two units, and Pines Park to Lubas and Tawang with six units.

The 11 units permitted to enter Baguio are only allowed to load and unload at the Slaughterhouse compound. – Ofelia C. Empian