PUJs get new loading, staging areas

July 31, 2020 Headlines

The City Government has assigned new loading and staging areas for public utility jeepney (PUJ) trunk-lines entering the Central Business District (CBD), as part of its traffic decongestion and depollution strategies that started yesterday, August 1.
In Executive Order No. 114 series of 2020 issued July 23 by Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong, the new loading and staging areas are: PUJs servicing the Baguio Plaza – Mines View route; Baguio Plaza – Navy Base route; Baguio Plaza – Tiptop route, Baguio Plaza – Pacdal Liteng route, Baguio Plaza – Lucnab route, Baguio Plaza – Maria Basa route, Baguio Plaza – Happy Hallow via Country Club and via Kadaclan routes; and, Baguio Plaza – Camp 7 route started using the Gov. Pack Road as loading area, while and Sandico Street will be their new staging area.
San Vicente, Poliwes and Camp 8 bound jeepneys are now using Claudio Street as loading area and Calderon St. as staging area. They will be sharing Claudio Street with Loakan bound jitneys that use it also as loading and staging. Claudio Street beside Cocobank used to be the staging point for Dalicno, Itogon bound jitneys as most Benguet bound jeepneys have been relocated as Magalong swore to have all the lines fixed during the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic saying that it is “high and most opportune time.”
Otek Street is used by Kitma bound jeepney both as a loading and staging area. Diego Silang remain to be the loading and staging area for BAL-PNR Circle and Hillside jitneys but now shares it with Diego Silang barangay jeepneys.
The Public Information Office – Baguio said that PUJs intending to stage at Gov. Pack Road may use the following routes and easements: 1) from point-of-origin to Leonard Wood, to Gen. Luna, to Fr. Carlu Street, to Upper Session Road (Casa Vallejo), to Sunshine Park, to Gov. Pack Road (staging area); and, 2) from point-of-origin to Leonard Wood (Hotel 45), to Upper Session Road (Casa Vallejo), to Sunshine Park to Gov. Pack Road (staging area).
For egress or exit options, the PUJs may use the following routes and easements: 1) from Gov. Pack Road (staging area) to Post Office Loop (YMCA), to Gen. Luna, to Upper Bonifacio, to Sumulong, to Laubach, to Gen. Luna, to Leonard Wood, to point-of-destination; or, 2) from Gov. Pack Road to Post Office Loop (YMCA), to Gen. Luna, to Leonard Wood, to point-of-destination; or, 3) from Gov. Pack Road to Upper Session (Casa Vallejo), to North Drive, to Leonard Wood, to point-of-destination.
The new setup is a product of continuing studies by the Land Traffic and Transportation Management Committee through the Baguio Traffic and Transportation Technical Working Group. On Friday, the city also released an advisory for the temporary transportation plan from August 1 the 15th “unless shortened due to changes in quarantine classification.”
Among these are the temporary number coding for private vehicles and motorcycles, specifically, vehicles with numbers ending in 1 and 2 on Monday, Tuesday for 3 and 4, Wednesday for 5 and 6, 7 and 8 on Thursdays and 9 and 0 on Fridays.
The advisory, however, gave exemptions for health workers and members of the Baguio City Contact Tracing Team; uniformed personnel of the police, armed forces, fire brigade, patrol, jail and Bureau of Corrections; service providers in emergency and disaster management; utility services for water, electricity, telecommunications, and waste management; and persons authorized by the local Covid-19 Inter-Agency Task Force.
PUJs are also exempt from the number coding until further notice and may operate from 5AM until 10PM. There are 857 jeepneys allowed to ply the 58 rationalized routes which are either authorized by the Baguio City Police Office or the Land Transportation and Franchising Board.
Taxis are also allowed to take passengers from 6 AM until 6 PM, but they are given schedules to do so with even ending cabs allowed to do so starting yesterday and on every other day schedule until the end of the month. Taxis with odd numbers are scheduled today. The city has also designated parking for motorcycles and bicycles.
PML/ABN