Transport leaders seek for protocol changes

By Dolly Yasa

 

BACOLOD City – The secretary-general of the United Negros Drivers and Operators Center (UNDOC) said Wednesday that they are calling on the city government of Bacolod to modify its protocols and allow public transport to operate.

Diego Malacad told the Daily Guardian that they are proposing to allow 50 percent of the jeepney in the city to operate at an odd-even scheme to control the movement of the public and jeepneys.

Public transport in the city was suspended after the national Inter-Agency Task Force against the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 placed the city under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) from Sept 8-31, 2020.

Malacad said they already submitted their appeal to the Sectoral Concerns Office headed by executive assistant Ernie Pineda.

Drivers are doing odd jobs, so they can feed their families, he said.

Malacad lamented that the food packs they received from the city government were useless because the goods were expired.

“The NFA rice given to them upset their stomachs,” he added.

“If we could not get assistance soon, we could all be dead by September 30, the last day of the implementation of MECQ, as they have no more food on their tables,” Malacad said.

Meanwhile, Bacolod Councilor Dindo Ramos said that the number of drivers tapped for the Libre Sakay program was increased from 42 last week to a total of 63.

Ramos, chairperson of the Committee on Transportation of the Sangguniang Panlungsod, said they have observed high demand for jeepneys that will serve essential workers.

He said there are now nine public utility jeepneys (PUJs) servicing medical and essential workers from every seven terminals in different barangays in Bacolod City from 4 am to 10 pm daily.