Ten existing jeepney routes in Bacolod City are seeking for another one to the new government center, Bacolod Councilor Wilson Gamboa Jr., chairman of the Committee on Transportation and Traffic, yesterday said.

At a public hearing conducted at City Hall yesterday, the routes were identified as those of Homesite, Villamonte, Fortune Towne, San Dionisio, Sta. Fe, Doña Juliana, Mansilingan, JJ Gonzaga, Granada and Alangilan, Gamboa said.

He also said he proposed that the operators and drivers make an accounting of the public utility vehicles in their routes, whether legitimate operators or strikers, so they will know how many jeepneys will be allowed to service the government center route.

This takes into account the projection that there are 5,000-8,000 employees to be served and visitors who will visit the new City Center, he said.

He also asked the group to discuss this with PUJ drivers and operators whose routes will be affected, he said.

The drivers agreed yesterday that there is no need to amend their franchises and that those who want to service the area only have to indicate in their vehicles a “via government center” sign, Gamboa said.

He said the new government center may be opened by the third quarter of this year, and that he was informed that the Mayors’ League will hold its convention in Bacolod in July.

Applicants for the new routes will have to submit a request to the city to be approved by the LTFRB, Gamboa said.

The public hearing yesterday was attended by Arturo Gepes of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, Traffic Division head Senior Insp. Levy Pangue and the assemblers, drivers and operators applying for the government center route.         

Pangue reminded the operators to submit their proposed route for study so a survey could be conducted to see if these will not pose any problems.

Meanwhile, Councilor Al Victor Espino said the city has paid about 51 percent of the progress billing of Hilmarc’s Construction Corp. for the government center, or about P193-195 million.

He said the construction of the project is now about 90 percent complete and the mayor has created a committee headed by Vice Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson to study and make recommendations on the requests of several national government agencies to construct their own offices at the site, office furniture and fixtures to be used, and the landscaping of the frontage and surrounding areas of the government center.

Sayson issued a memorandum Tuesday, in anticipation of the transfer to the new government center, directing all department and office heads to submit before May 19 the list of the number of tables, chairs and benches to be needed in their office including special equipments or furniture and fixtures necessary to carry out public services.*CGS

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