ILOILO City – The entry of more provincial jeepneys to this city would create more problems, warned an association of city loop jeepney drivers and operators.
To address the lack of public transport especially on Mondays and Fridays, provincial jeepneys may be allowed to enter the city, according to Public Safety and Transportation Management Office (PSTMO) head Jeck Conlu.
But Iloilo City Loop Alliance of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association (ICLAJODA) president Raymundo Parcon said such was not the ideal solution to the problem.
“The entry of more provincial jeepneys would worsen traffic congestion in the city,” he said.
During a recent meeting, ICLAJODA and the Iloilo City Alliance of Drivers Association (ICADA) told PSTMO chief Jeck Conlu they would oblige member drivers to make more trips especially on Mondays and Fridays.
But they also urged PSTMO to deploy more traffic enforcers especially at bottleneck areas.
One reason for the shortage of jeepneys is traffic congestion, according to Councilor R Leone Gerochi, chairperson of the committee on transportation in the Sangguniang Panlungsod.
“This discourages jeepney drivers from making more trips,” he said.
ICLAJODA and ICADA also urged PSTMO to remove road obstructions such as illegally-parked vehicles, and trisikads that are actually prohibited from using main roads.
The groups reiterated their support to the Perimeter Boundary Ordinance that regulates the entry of provincial jeepneys to the city.
Under the ordinance, only those with car passes may do so; those that do not have car passes are only until designated transport terminals in the peripheral barangays of the city./PN
