The United Negros Transport Cooperative (UNETCO) held the blessing and launching of 30 of 97 Class 2 FAW Modernized Public Utility Vehicles (MPUV) for Bacolod City at the Ayala Malls Capitol Central on Monday, January 23.
Thirty out of the 97 MPUV units have been delivered to Bacolod and 67 more are also set to arrive, a press release from the Bacolod City government said Tuesday.
A caravan and official ribbon cutting ceremony led by UNETCO Chairperson Romelie Soliguen, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Region VI Director Richard Osmeña, and Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) Region VI Director Nora Patron were held.
“Mayor (Albee Benitez) expresses his full support and heartfelt gratitude for this pursuit for modernization…” Councilor Psyche Marie Sy said in her speech in behalf of the mayor.
“It is great to see more modernized jeepneys on the road. So it’s time for Bacolod, a highly urbanized city, to be a model for clean and efficient transportation,” Sy added.
The six routes that were awarded by the Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP) to UNETCO are the Shopping – Libertad – USLS route that was awarded 16 units; 18 units each for the Shopping – Libertad – San Agustin route and Handumanan – Mansilingan – Libertad route; and 15 units each for Tangub – South Capitol Road Route, Taculing – Central Market Route, and Banago – Libertad Route.
The transport group is currently installing a fleet management system on the new MPUVs to monitor their routes and operations, the press release said.
QSJ Visayas Manager Elmer Apondar, Huang Xi – FAW Philippine general manager, and Ma Luisita Chiu – Land Bank of the Philippines assistant vice president, also joined the turn-over ceremony.
“The launching of the 97 MUJV’s delivers a strong signal of courage and decisiveness of those who opted to take the challenge of public transport”, Osmeña said in his speech.
“Slowly but surely we are showing the public that our partnership among the local governments, the transport operators, and our (LTFRB) office is strong and working tirelessly to make transport transferred into modernization reality” he added.
UNETCO is composed of the United Negros Drivers and Operators Center, Federation of Bacolod Drivers Association, Sentrong Samahan ng Tsuper at Operators Negros Occidental (SSTON) that are soon to operate 293 MUJV units in Bacolod.
Currently, there are 203 modernized jeepneys plying the streets of Bacolod and 155 more units will be launched by February, the LTFRB reported.*