No money, more problems: Baguio PUJ drivers lament difficulties even after ECQ
Channel: Northern Dispatch
Date: 2020-05-31

No money, no permit

David Aragon, president of the Tomay-Greenfields Jeepney Association, said the majority of jitney drivers have been living on borrowed money the past two months that they were unable to operate.

"We were really hoping that more of us will be able to resume operating under the GCQ," he said.

He added that they are willing to cooperate and follow public health and safety protocols. However, according to him, there are things that they find difficult to comply with, particularly some requirements for a special permit.

He lamented that jitney drivers will still have to spend when they apply for a special permit even if they already lost their source of income. "And only a handful will be granted a permit," he said.

Aragon said that the transport regulatory board requires drivers to be a member of a cooperative.

"The LTFRB is using the pandemic to implement jitney franchise consolidation as part of the modernization program," he said.

He urged the local government units to assert to take charge of the issuance of the special permits for public transport. 

"Mayor Magalong (Baguio City) and Maj. Panabang has done a great job during the ECQ, and we hope them to continue what they started," he said.