CAGAYAN de Oro City — Commuters from Misamis Oriental may soon have a chance to push for easier access to Cagayan de Oro after the City Council agreed to hold a stakeholder dialogue on restrictions affecting provincial public utility vehicles (PUVs).
The council’s Committee on Public Utilities approved on Sept. 23 a motion to conduct the dialogue following an appeal from Opol Mayor Jay Francis Bago to revisit the city’s 2007 traffic route scheme.
The scheme restricts the entry of provincial buses, jeepneys and other PUVs into Cagayan de Oro.
Bago, who also serves as president of the League of Municipal Mayors of Misamis Oriental, said the policy has made daily travel more difficult for residents of the province, with some commuters having to take as many as three rides to reach their destinations in the city.
He said the additional transfers are particularly difficult for residents traveling to Cagayan de Oro for essential services, including medical care and education.
“Like NMMC nga naa sa highway, so looy kaayo among mga pasyente nga mag two rides pa,” Bago said.
Bago urged city officials to revisit the route scheme and consider measures that would ease the daily commute of Misamis Oriental residents traveling to Cagayan de Oro.
But Roads and Traffic Administration (RTA) consultant Atty. Edgardo Uy said the city is implementing an existing ordinance.
Uy said local government units seeking changes should present and justify their proposals for allowing provincial PUVs to use specific roads or terminals.
“Now naa may concerns from LGUs outside Cagayan de Oro, siguro we can start by presenting or justifying their request,” Uy said.
He added that the ordinance was enacted in accordance with existing regulations and the law.
Councilor Enrico Salcedo, chair of the Committee on Public Utilities, said a stakeholder dialogue would provide an opportunity for all concerned parties to discuss the issue.
The committee subsequently approved a motion by Councilor Roger Abaday to conduct the dialogue.
The Committee on Public Utilities will lead the discussions in coordination with the RTA and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).
Government agencies, local government units, transport operators and drivers are expected to participate in the dialogue.
The discussions will cover the existing traffic route scheme and possible measures to address concerns raised by commuters and the transport sector while considering the city’s traffic management objectives.
Bago and city officials agreed to pursue the dialogue as both sides look for possible solutions to concerns over the entry of provincial jeepneys and buses into Cagayan de Oro.
