Isko Moreno wants LTFRB to suspend Baclaran-Divisoria jeepney drivers

Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno has requested the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to suspend jeepney drivers plying the Baclaran-Divisoria route.

In a report on GMA’s “Dobol A sa Dobol B,” Moreno noted the number of complaints of “cutting trip,” or not completing the route, against jeepney drivers.

FLASH REPORT: Manila Mayor @IskoMoreno, hiniling sa @LTFRB na suspendihin ang mga jeep na biyaheng Baclaran-Divisoria. | via @Isa_Umali pic.twitter.com/5hg5EQ88Oi

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) July 23, 2019

Moreno met with the LTFRB and the Inter-Agency Council on Traffic (i-ACT) on Tuesday morning to file his request.

Because of a similar complaints against, the mayor warned that he may also recommend that jeepney drivers be suspended from plying the routes that cover the Manila Central University, Padre Faura, Taft, Pedro Gil, and Paco.

Moreno said jeepney drivers cut their trips short because only a few passengers complete the route.

To reduce gasoline cost and consumption, the drivers would tell their passengers to transfer to other jeepneys.

GMA News Online has contacted the LTFRB for a statement on the matter, but no response has been received as of this posting.

'Lesson'

According to a report by Jonathan Andal on GMA News' Unang Balita on Wednesday, Moreno said his request to suspend the franchises of all jeepneys plying the Baclaran-Divisoria route should serve as a "lesson" for jeepney drivers who inconvenience passengers by cutting their trips short.

"To stop cutting trips, they should learn the lesson. All (of them)," Moreno said.

"Because talamak...ang daming naapektuhan na senior citizen. Ang daming naaapektuhang estudyante. Ang dami naming naaapektuhang mga trabahante na gusto na lang umuwi sa mga bahay nila matapos ang otso oras. Sasakay ng jepep, ang bayad, et-neb (P20), ang biyahe, po-sam."

Moreno said he has considered simpler and more "diplomatic" solutions with trip-cutting jeepneys in the past, but to no avail.

"If given a chance, the LTFRB will hear our formal complaint later on to suspend the entire line of Baclaran-Divisoria, kasi ayaw tumigil eh. Hindi makuha sa diplomasiya eh," the mayor said. 

The mayor also said there was no excuse for jeepneys not to complete their trips, given the recent efforts to improve traffic along the streets of Manila.

The plan has yet to be finalized, but several jeepney drivers and passengers have already aired their grievances.

"Hindi kami nagka-cutting, tapos sususpendehin? Paano naman trabaho namin kung ilang buwan sususpendehin? Anong kakainin namin," a jeepney driver said. —Jon Viktor Cabuenas and Margaret Claire Layug/VDS/KG, GMA News