### New Pilot Program to Ease Student Mobility at UABC Otay Campus
A new public transportation program has been launched to facilitate the movement of students at the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (UABC) Otay campus, as announced by Jorge Gutiérrez Topete, the head of the Institute for Sustainable Mobility (Imos).
“We are encouraging transportation permit holders and the ‘Dorado y Blanco’ organization to participate in this pilot program, which is part of a public policy initiative to consolidate transportation units. Yesterday, the program was tested with the ‘Dorado y Blanco’ organization,” stated Gutiérrez Topete.
The initiative seeks to alleviate the longstanding issues of long waits and high fares that UABC students face. The pilot involves replacing two Urvan transportation vehicles, each with a capacity for 22 passengers, with a single medium-sized bus that can accommodate 21 seated and around 12 standing passengers. This bus began its operations in Tijuana yesterday and was reportedly full.
“The program, named ‘Two for One,’ aims to reduce the number of vehicles while transporting more students. Currently, only one bus is operational under this pilot, which will run for a month. This bus has been loaned by a bus manufacturing company,” he added.
Gutiérrez Topete further explained that the program plans for the ‘Dorado y Blanco’ organization, which consists of 400 taxi drivers, to purchase an initial batch of 50 buses. This would allow the retirement of 100 Urvans, enabling more standing passengers during peak hours.
Introducing smaller units on these routes would likely lead to increased traffic congestion, especially given the ongoing construction projects around the city. “With fewer but larger capacity units, we can better handle the volume of passengers,” concluded Gutiérrez Topete.
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### Additional News
#### Long Waits and High Fares: Unresolved Issues for UABC Students
The new pilot program is a response to persistent complaints from UABC students about the inefficiency and high cost of the existing transportation system. The issue has been a significant concern, particularly during peak hours when long queues often form, and the currently available Urvans fail to meet the demand.
#### Further Developments
1. **Judicial Protests at UABC:**
– Workers from the Judicial Branch recently staged protests at the UABC Faculty of Law, seeking student support against judicial reforms.
2. **Security Incident at Otay Commercial Port:**
– An incident involving the use of force by a Customs and Border Protection officer led to a temporary shutdown of the Otay commercial port, resulting in injuries.
3. **Air Quality Alerts:**
– Tijuana experienced air quality alerts on September 6 and 8 due to elevated PM2.5 levels, prompting discussions about potential sanctions for four municipalities over pyrotechnics usage.
4. **Delayed Pedestrian Bridge Construction:**
– The construction of a pedestrian bridge connecting to “Macro” will not be completed by the end of September, as delays have pushed the project into the next administration’s timeline.
5. **Health Concerns for Municipal Police:**
– A study highlights that the varying shift schedules for municipal police officers could contribute to metabolic issues and obesity, calling for changes in work routines.
6. **Neonatal Care Urgency:**
– There’s a pressing need for improved neonatal care at the General Hospital of Tijuana to provide essential parenteral nutrition for premature infants with severe health complications.
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