City to sign MOA with PUJ drivers

CEBU, Philippines — All public utility jeepney (PUJ) drivers who are qualified beneficiaries of the free dashboard cameras will have to enter into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Cebu City Government.

Cebu City Transportation Office Operations Chief Francisco Ouano told The FREEMAN that the executive department will be drafting the MOA in order to document the free distribution of dashboard cameras to 1,000 PUJ drivers.

"Ato nang himoan og MOA kay kana siya totally free na gihatag sa siyudad. Ilaha ning ampingan kay for the safety ni sa pasahero and drivers," he said.

The 1,000 units of dashboard cameras are expected to be delivered by the supplier on April 2019.

Earlier, Mayor Tomas Osmeña decided to buy dashboard cameras in order to suppress criminality and to improve the peace and order situation in the city.

The budget for the procurement of the dashboard cameras came from last year’s approved supplemental budget amounting to P5 million.

Once the security cameras are distributed to the drivers, the CCTO will monitor every now and then in order to ensure that the drivers are utilizing the equipment properly.

"Naa gyud na'y monitoring kay naka-register man sad na sila sa atoa based sa ilahang gikuha nga travel line certificate. I-close monitor gyud na, i-check-up to na from time to time," Ouano said.

Ouano said they will prioritize those PUJs plying in the city’s streets, based on the mayor’s directive to accommodate drivers or operators who have secured travel line certificate in the city.

Record showed that there are more than 600 PUJs who have secured a travel line certificate in his office this year.

These travel lines include the one from Bulacao to Colon St., Bulacao to SM Cebu City, Pardo to Colon St., Basak to Colon St., Guadalupe to Colon St., Banilad to Colon St. and others.

Since March 6, the CCTO began accepting requirements of the drivers who wish to avail of the free dashboard cameras of the city government.

The requirements include the official receipt, franchise, and travel line certificate.

For those who have not yet submitted those documents, Ouano urged them to avail of the free dashboard cameras as soon as possible so that their units will have monitoring equipment while traveling the streets.

The security cameras are capable of monitoring the front and back view of the PUJs.

“Atong pasabton ang PUJ operators nga kana siya, it’s for free. Isa sa purpose sa mayor, nakita niya nga daghan crimes, labi na sa gabii. Maayo ni kay naa sila’y dash cams para pagsuta sa mga bati nga element,” he said.

Ouano also said that PUJ operators who are from outside the city can also avail of the free dashboard cameras as long as they have secured travel line certificate from CCTO.

These operators are from Talisay City to Cebu City, Mandaue to Cebu City, and others.

“Ang unahon nato og hatag ang drivers within Cebu City. So ang katong second batch, Talamban to Mandaue ug uban pa, hatagan sad nato,” Ouano said. (FREEMAN)