Almost 1,300 traditional public utility jeepneys (PUJs) here have obtained the provisional authority to operate from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board-Western Visayas (LTFRB-6) until the end of the year.

The number is considered sufficient to meet the public transport needs of the city while Bacolod is transitioning to the full implementation of the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP).

“Based on our estimate, more or less it’s enough. The minimum number (of PUJs) needed that will not paralyze public transport is about 900,” City Administrator Pacifico Maghari III said on Thursday.

He said there are still other operators processing their applications for provisional authority.

In Bacolod, some 555 modernized jeepney units are plying the city streets, or about 50 percent of the 1,099 units allocated for the 24 routes under the Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP).

In June, the city government hosted a three-day simulation exercise (simex) participated by about 1,600 traditional and modernized jeepneys to determine the effectiveness of the LPTRP under the supervision of the Department of Transportation, LTFRB, and Land Transportation Office.

Ahead of the 30-day period for the submission of the recommendations, Maghari said the LTFRB is conducting a consultation meeting, where the initial report on the results of the simex will be presented.

“The goal is to know if the number of units is sufficient for the updated routes based on the available (modern) jeepney units,” he added. (PNA)