ILOILO City – Today is the second day of implementation of the Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP) that limits the routes of provincial jeepneys up to the transport terminals only in the city’s boundary barangays.
To safely reach their destinations, confused city-bound commuters should seek assistance from helpdesks that the city government and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) have set up in the transport terminals.
The first working day of the week is the real test of just how efficient and capable the city loop jeepneys are in hauling passengers from the transport terminals to the city.
“Those nga indi kabalo kon ano sakyan nila, the helpdesks will guide them,” said Jeck Conlu, head of the city government’s Public Safety and Transportation Management Office (PSTMO).
Four transport terminals approved by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to take part in the implementation of the LPTRP, said Conlu. These are Mohon Terminal, Ungka Terminal, Tagbak Terminal, and the Festive Walk Transport Hub.
Conlu said the Hibao-an Terminal failed to pass DOTr’s scrutiny.
Public utility jeepneys (PUJs) that used to use the Hibao-an Terminal are now transferred to the Festive Walk Transport Hub at the Iloilo Business Park (Megaworld) in Mandurriao district as it is the nearest transport terminal available. With this, jeepneys from towns of San Miguel, Leon and Alimodian can enter the city up to the transport hub.
On the other hand, said Conlu, the Baldoza Terminal was closed down. Its franchise already expired. PUJs previously using the Baldoza Terminal transferred to the Tagbak Terminal.
According to the PSTMO chief, there were no so much changes in the PUJ routes under LPTRP, except only for seven new routes.
To those who want to go to the City Proper from Mohon Terminal, the Mohon- Infante Loop is still there.
But those who will be travelling to Mandurriao can take the new route Mohon-Mandurriao Business District. From Mohon Terminal, it will pass Osmeña, Jocson, Avanceña, Locsin, and R. Mapa streets to Megaworld Boulevard, Diversion Road, Pison Avenue and back to Mohon Terminal.
Those who want to go to the City Proper from the Festive Walk Transport Hub can take the Hibao-an-Iloilo City Proper PUJ.
From Ungka Terminal, City Proper-bound passengers are still catered by the Ungka-Iloilo City Proper via CPU PUJs.
Other routes from the Ungka Terminal are the Ungka-Iloilo City via Diversion / Festive Walk Transport Hub Loop and the Ungka-La Paz via CPU-ISAT-U Loop.
For those at the Tagbak Terminal, Conlu said, the Jaro-Liko Tagbak and Jaro-Liko NFA PUJs will continue serving their routes.
But there are two new available routes from Tagbak Terminal – the Tagbak-Festive Walk Transport Hub via SM City/Atria for those going to Mandurriao district, and the Tagbak-Lapuz via Coastal Loop for those bound for the Coastal Road area.
“Ang mga gina-agyan sang Leganes nga jeep sang una, ginbutangan ta ina ruta,” said Conlu.
There are a total of 24 rationalized and new routes under the LPTRP.
The other routes are as follows:
* Bo. Obrero – Iloilo City Proper Loop
* Calaparan Calumpang – Iloilo City Proper
* Lanit – SM City va NIA/Jalandoni
* Compania – Iloilo City Proper Loop
* Parola – Infante via Super Loop
* La Paz – Iloilo City Proper via ISAT-U
* Mandurriao – Molo via Festive Walk Transport Hub Loop
* Molo – Iloilo City Proper via Baluarte Loop
* Bito-on Jaro via Balabago Loop
* Villa Baybay – City Proper via Bonifacio
* Bito-on – La Paz via Coastal (new route)
* Villa – Jaro via Sooc/Onate/Festive Walk Transport Hub (new route)
* La Paz – Festive Walk Transport Hub via Nabitasan Loop (new route)/PN
