• CHRYSEE G. SAMILLANO
An ordinance laying down the guidelines and procedures in the processing of business permits for public utility transportation business in the City of Bacolod, pursuant to ease of doing business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018, was passed by the Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod on first, second, and third and final reading Wednesday.
Authored by Councilor Dindo Ramos, the proposed ordinance said public utility transportation business are imbued with public interest and are essential to the mobility, safety, and economic activity of the residents of Bacolod City.
The imposition of redundant or unnecessary clearances in the processing of business permits for public utility transportation contributes to delay and runs counter to the declared policy of the State to promote efficient government service, it said.
There is a need to streamline the business permit processing for public utility transportation business while ensuring traffic management, public safety, and regulatory compliance, the ordinance said.
To be known as “Public Utility Transportation Business Permit Streamlining Ordinance of Bacolod City”, the measure provides that public utility transportation business will be required to obtain the following maximum requirements: barangay clearance, Bacolod Traffic and Transportation Management Department (BTTMD) clearance, and official franchises from appropriate agencies.
The processing of business permits for public utility transportation businesses should not exceed the prescribed processing time for simple or complex transactions, as the case may be, and should be completed within the period provided under the Citizen’s Charter of the City Government.
No city office, department, or unit should impose or require any additional requirement for the issuance or renewal of business permits, other than those expressly provided under this ordinance and applicable national laws and regulations. Any additional requirement imposed in violation of this provision will be considered ultra vires and void.*
