The city council in its 6th regular session presided over by vice mayor Daniel Fariñas last Monday acted on 96 legislative matters and on some issues regarding the ongoing experimental traffic scheme for La Trinidad PUJ trunklines at Magsaysay and Bokawkan Roads pursuant to Administrative Orders 011 and 017 of the city mayor.

On suspended rules, the council accommodated the representatives of jeepney associations from various areas in Benguet province and the federation of La Trinidad jeepney trunklines, represented by its president Miguel Luma-ang and Samuel Arcellana. Also present is C/Insp. Engelbert Soriano, chief, Traffic Management Branch of the Baguio City Police Office.

The meeting allowed the jeepney groups and the police aired their respective concerns and views and so with the council-members verified and clarified important points, thus, preliminary actions were decided. Although it would have been much better if the issues were discussed together with affected commuters, there was only one senior citizen who appeared and defended the need for pujs to service Bokawkan Road.

The council’s actions on the matter are the adoption of three resolutions requesting the city mayor, on experimental basis, to: 1.) Lift the number coding scheme and adopt an odd-even scheme immediately for the La Trinidad bound jeepneys along Magsaysay Avenue up to the Rabbit sinkhole, except jeepney associations with parking areas specified under ordinance 7-84, for a period of 60 days; 2.) Exempt the Bayabas and Balili routes from the application of the number coding scheme, but instead apply to them the one-two one-two scheme; and 3.) Exempt the associations conducting or having one-day one-trip from the odd-even scheme and instead apply to them the number coding scheme, specifically the jeepney operators and drivers association of Kapangan, Atok, Kibungan, Acop, and Tublay, provided that their parking is in accordance with Ordinance 7-84.

Since these are just requests, then effectivity and implementation of the above recommendations would depend on the action of the city mayor as soon as his office received the resolutions.

Although the body is contemplating to adopt odd-even scheme for Bokawkan route, it decided that discussion on the matter “be held in abeyance” until after the completion of the 60-day recommended experimentation for Magsaysay route. This is seemingly a long period of waiting for commuters specially the preparatory and elementary grade schoolers, the employees, the senior citizens, and the differently-abled persons, who have been experiencing daily hardships of walking along the uphill and polluted road, and not to mention their additional budget for taxi rides and of getting late at work and in class due to the fact that taxis are not enough to accommodate all waiting passengers since a taxi does not usually ferry passengers who are strangers to each other, while a jeep can carry about 22 passengers not known to each other at a time. Nevertheless, commuters can anytime appeal that PUJs are needed to service the Bokawkan Road.

Related actions that may help ease traffic along Magasaysay Avenue and the crowded Rabbit sinkhole are: 1.) for the federation of La Trinidad trunkline to submit to the council list of accredited members of each organization indicating the status and the plate numbers of the vehicles within a period of two weeks; 2.) for the traffic management branch of the BCPO to conduct investigation on colorum vehicles that are coming in, and deviating their routes to, the city; and 3.) to conduct investigation on the alleged existence of Bingo operations at Tabora Park and to stop or close it immediately if found true.

Tomorrow, an “experimental odd-even scheme for all Aurora Hill and Trancoville PUJ trunklines,” will be implemented pursuant to Administrative Order 24, s. 2009, signed last Feb. 23 by the city mayor. The order aims to reduce PUJ volume at the central business district specially “the largest number of units traversing the CBD roads,” which comprises the combined units of Aurora Hill and Trancoville jeepneys.