A joint inspection led by Mayor Benjamin Magalong went after public utility vehicles without garages yielding 90 units found parked along roads in various barangays on Feb. 7.
The mayor said the joint PUV garage monitoring was undertaken from 10:15 p.m. of Feb. 7 to 12:30 a.m. of Feb. 8 along Bayan Park, East Modern Site, Lopez Jaena, Ledesma St. Aurora Hill, South and North Sanitary Camp, Trancoville, New Lucban, Honeymoon and Holyghost, M. Roxas, and Lower Brookside.
Of the 90 PUVs found occupying portions of roads as garage, 67 were public utility jeepneys and 23 were taxi units.
The violations were recorded and documented and owners of the PUVs will be penalized, according to the mayor.
Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board-Cordillera Director Lalaine Sobremonte; Baguio City Police Office Traffic Enforcement Unit Chief, Maj. Oliver Panabang; and City Engineering Office Traffic Office Head, Engr. Richard Lardizabal joined the inspection.
The garage monitoring is in line with LTFRB Memorandum Circular 2017-027, which lays down the implementing guidelines for garages pursuant to Department Order 2017-011 or the Omnibus Franchising Guidelines (OFG).
The OFG, particularly subsections 2.2.1 to 2.2.9 requires operators of PUVs to provide garages for their units subject to regulations.
The operators will be slapped with illegal parking charges on the part of the city and franchise violation on the part of the LTFRB. – Aileen P. Refuerzo
April 18, 2024
