By Glazyl M. Jopson
BACOLOD CITY – The city government will begin a 30-day dry run for an additional electric jeepney (e-jeep) route on Thursday, Jan. 16.
Atty. Marty Go, secretary to the mayor, announced on Tuesday that this will be the third experimental route, connecting the Bacolod City Government Center (BCGC) to Ayala Malls Capitol Central.
“This is a new path not yet served by public transportation,” Go said. “We’re going to try out new routes.”
The route is part of efforts to establish a “green route” for e-jeeps in Bacolod.
The planned route begins at BCGC and passes through Circumferential Road, CL Montelibano, B.S. Aquino-Narra Avenue, 6th Street-Hilado Street, and Lacson Street, ending at North Capitol Road, near the back of the Provincial Capitol.
Go said two e-jeeps owned by the local government will initially operate during the dry run. These e-jeeps will run from 9:30 a.m. to the evening, and passengers can ride for free.
The city is exploring additional e-jeeps that could be lent for the dry run.
Staff from the City Planning and Development Office will monitor the dry run to survey passenger demand and assess the route’s feasibility.
Go expressed hope that the new route, if successful, would help decongest the downtown area, which is often crowded with public transportation.
In May last year, the city conducted a dry run for e-jeeps serving Barangay Vista Alegre and Barangay Cabug. That initiative aimed to address the transportation needs of residents in areas not included in the Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP).
