Temporary Transportation Plan in Baguio City

January 13, 2022993 views0

The City Government of Baguio has released an advisory discussing the temporary transportation plan which will be implemented in the city effective January 11, 2022.

Temporary Transportation Plan

Private Vehicles and Motorcycles

According to the advisory, the Baguio City Number Coding Scheme (City Ordinance Numbered 01 s. 2003) is in effect and applies to all Private vehicles and motorcycles traveling within the City of Baguio.

Number Code and Day Prohibited

1 – 2: Monday
3 – 4: Tuesday
5 – 6: Wednesday
7 – 8: Thursday
9 – 0: Friday

Exempted from the Coding Ordinance

The following are exempted from the coding ordinance as stated in Section 2(A) of EO No. 95 Series of 2020:

Health workers and members of the Baguio City Contact Tracing Team.
Uniformed personnel of the AFP, PNP, BFP, PCG, BJMP, and BUCOR.
Service providers in emergency and disaster management.
Utility services for water, electricity, telecommunications, and waste management.
Those persons may be authorized by the local COVID-19 IATF.
ALL Public Utility Vehicles such as but not limited to PUJs, Tourist Transport, buses, and modern PUJs, which were given LTFRB Special Permits and contracts to ferry health workers for free are exempted from the number coding ordinance until further notice.

Public Utility Jeepneys (PUJ)

ALL Baguio PUJ units are allowed to operate except for Trancoville and Aurora Hill Routes which are only allowed at a maximum of 100 units each to ply within the City. PUJ operation time is permitted starting from 4:00 a.m. Monday to Sunday.

PUJ Seating Capacity

As discussed during the January 10, 2022 meeting with the transport sector, PUJ units are to carry only up to 70% seating capacity following the chart provided by the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB):

Seating Capacity	Front Seat	Back Seat 2 Rows		70%	Passengers per Row
17	3	7	7	4.9	5
19	3	8	8	5.6	6
21	3	9	9	6.3	7
23	3	10	10	7	7
25	3	11	11	7.7	8
27	3	12	12	8.4	9
29	3	13	13	9.1	9

Per agreement with transport sector leaders, all passengers including drivers, are urged to use surgical masks instead of cloth masks. Cloth masks may still be used on top of surgical masks as added protection.

Plastic Barriers

Plastic barriers inside the units may be removed EXCEPT AT THE DRIVER’S SIDE, however a uniform format of markings for seating areas shall be implemented. The marking shall serve as a guide to ensure that the above provided permitted seating capacity is followed in PUJs. As agreed, marking should be clearly visible, in color RED or YELLOW, with a height of 4 to 5 inches, and shall be placed at the backrest of the PUJ seats.

ALL Baguio and LISTT PUJ units are still subject to LTFRB issued Special Permit; those who operate without the LTFRB Special Permit may face sanctions as provided in applicable laws, ordinances, or issuances.
Other provisions of Executive Order No. 05 series 2022, Section 3 shall be followed.

Taxis

Taxi units may operate from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. the following day. Taxi units are to carry only a maximum of four (4) passengers including the driver as discussed during the January 10, 2022 meeting transport sector. The use of passenger logbook for contact tracing, in addition to provisions provided in LTFRB MC No. 2020-018, and other health and safety measures prescribed by the LTFRB and the City Government, through the BTMWG shall likewise be implemented.

Permitted Taxi Units shall follow the temporary number coding scheme stated on the TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY FOR TAXI UNITS PLYING THE CITY OF BAGUIO below:

Transportation Scheme for Taxi Units in Baguio City from December 17, 2021 to January 31, 2022

Special Taxis may be contacted through online digital platforms/taxi-hailing applications.

PASSENGERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO ALWAYS ASK FOR THE FARE RECEIPT THAT MAY BE USED FOR CONTACT TRACING AND INCIDENCES OF LEFT BAGGAGE.

All passengers including drivers are urged to use surgical masks instead of cloth masks. Cloth masks may still be used on top of surgical masks as added protection. Plastic barriers between the driver and the front passenger should totally enclose the driver and shall always be maintained clean and disinfected.

Cargo and Delivery Trucks

Outside the Central Business District

Truck Ban Time

06:00 AM – 09:00 AM
04:00 PM – 09:00 PM

Window Time

09:01 AM – 03:59 PM

Roads Within the Central Business District

Truck Ban Time

06:00 AM – 09:00 PM

Window Time

09:01 PM – 05:59 AM

Parking for Motorcycle and Bicycles

The following areas shall be allowed/used as temporary parking for motorcycles and bicycles for the duration of the Modified General Community Quarantine:

Governor Pack Road across BCPO – Compac 4 Office.
Shanum Street near Baguio Orchidarium and Tourist Police, parking time will be from 06:00 AM to 06:00 PM only.
Along Lapu-Lapu Street at the rear portion of Jollibee Magsaysay previously occupied by Holyghost PUJs. Parking time will be from 06:00 AM to 06:00 PM only.
Additional parking space for bicycles only: Malcolm Square, Post Office Loop, and at City Hall Gate fronting Insular Life Building.

All Road Side Parking

Roadside parking is only allowed within the demarcation lines for the implementation of City Ordinance No. 68 series of 2020, “Regulating the use of certain roads/streets within the Central Business District in the City of Baguio.”

Likewise, the whole stretch of Otek Street, Salvosa Drive, Bautista Drive, and Lower Shagem shall be primarily and temporarily used as PUJ loading/staging areas.

Interzonal Transportation

Initially, and in consideration of the carrying capacity of the central triage of Baguio City, only eight (8) buses per day can enter the City, until such time that the selected PUV operators are able to establish their own triage facilities following the standards set by the Baguio Health Department.

As determined by the City after a series of consultations with LTFRB and the transport groups, the following are required by City, in addition to those specified by LTFRB MC 2020-051:

A. Identified Routes and Terminals:

Public Utility Vehicles (PUVs) from the NCR, Bataan, Zambales, Pampanga and Tarlac area will pass thru the expressways.
1. Pick-up/drop off point – shall be inside the respective terminals of these PUVs;
2. The PUB’s and UVE’s terminals shall designate a triage area for incoming passengers; and
3. Provision for an isolation area with the following minimum criteria: open area/adequate ventilation, with a handwashing facility or hand sanitizer station near a restroom near the exit, with provision for chairs, face mask, and face shield.
The use of PUVs with own comfort rooms is preferred to avoid stop-over as much as possible:
1. Stop-overs shall only be allowed during medical emergency cases;
2. As an administrative control: driver and/or conductor substitution shall not be allowed. Similarly, the pairing of the same driver and conductor should always be maintained; and
3. Pick-up of passengers within the route shall never be allowed.
All units shall be installed with an air-filtration system capable of filtering PM2.5 particles.
All units shall be subject to inspection by LGU – Baguio and LTFRB prior to operation.
Daily trips are STRICTLY point-to-point from the place of origin to destination. No passenger pick-ups shall be made in-between the place of origin and destination.
Once seated, passengers shall not be allowed to roam around or change seats.

B. Procedure on Routes Allowed to Operate

Deployment and identification of bus and UVE units by the operator shall be as follows:
1. The Baguio City LGU shall limit the number of passengers allowed to travel to and from their jurisdiction per day, the corresponding number of bus and UVE units to be deployed (to accommodate the number of allowed passengers) will be based on the said number.
  - Based on the capability of the Baguio City Central Triage (BCCT), the initial number of buses allowed shall be eight (8) buses or units and six (6) UVE Vans or units per day only.
  - Entry of PUVs at the BCCT will have an interval of at least one (1) hour in the arrival time. This is to limit traffic and congestion along the triage area.
  - Operators may increase the number of units they will operate upon installation and certification by the Health Services Office (HSO) of their own triage.

C. Requirements for Travel (applicable also for those traveling using private vehicles)

All Baguio-bound travels shall be based on the Issued Executive Order No. 139 series of 2021, “An Order Updating Travel Protocols for the City of Baguio during Community Quarantine.”

D. Pre-Booking and Contact Tracing

Use of contactless payment is recommended.
Bus and UVE operators shall provide an electronic copy of their Passenger Manifest based on their booking facility for each trip. Said Passenger Manifest shall be sent to the LTFRB Central Office or Regional Office having jurisdiction in the point of origin via the RFRO’s official email address not later than 12:00 noon of the day following the date of travel. Non-compliance with the submission of Passenger Manifests shall be sanctioned accordingly.
- Similarly, a copy of said manifest should also be sent to the BCCT.
Information and Educational Communication materials, infographics on COVID 19 including health protocols on prevention shall be posted inside the vehicle.

E. Triage Procedures Upon Entry

To facilitate the triaging of incoming passengers, they will undergo health screening inside the PUV and shall be triaged upon arrival at the City Triage Unit.
For returning workers, they shall be made to alight the PUV and be triaged separately.

F. Weekly Bus Schedule

The number of units allocated for each bus and UVE companies, evaluation and adjustment on the schedules are subject to change and can be terminated anytime by the city depending on the Covid-19 health situation.

G. Penalty

A one strike policy shall be implemented, and all incidents of non-compliance with notices as contained in this Advisory, as well as the provisions of the EO No. 05, s. 2022, issuances of pertinent governing agencies of the National Government, and other local ordinance so applicable, shall be dealt within in accordance with law. Violations of health and safety protocols shall be forwarded to the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board for appropriate action.

SOURCE: PIO-BAGUIO