ILOILO City – This southern city has 24 new and rationalized routes set by its Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPRTP) approved by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).
These routes will open on June 12, the start of the implementation of the LPTRP.
“Mas mangin matawhay kag mas hilway ang pagbyahe diri sa ciudad paagi sa aton gin-obra nga public transport route plan,” said Mayor Jerry Treñas.
A total of 1, 767 authorized units will be servicing the following new routes:
* Bo. Obrero-Iloilo City Proper Loop
* Calaparan Calumpang – Iloilo City Proper
* Ungka – Iloilo City Proper via CPU
*Ungka – Iloilo City via Diversion / Festive Walk Transport Hub Loop
* Festive Walk Transport Hub – Iloilo City Proper via SM City
* Lanit – SM City va NIA/Jalandoni
* Compania – Iloilo City Proper Loop
* Parola – Infante via Super Loop
* Mohon – Infante Loop
* Tagbak – Iloilo City Proper
* La Paz – Iloilo City Proper via ISAT-U
* Mandurriao – Molo via Festive Walk Transport Hub Loop
* Hibao-an – Iloilo City Proper via Tabucan/Festive Walk Transport Hub
* Molo – Iloilo City Proper via Baluarte Loop
* Bito-on Jaro via Balabago Loop
* Villa Baybay – City Proper via Bonifacio
* Tagbak- Lapuz via Coastal Loop
* Bito-on – La Paz via Coastal
* Villa – Jaro via Sooc/Onate/Festive Walk Transport Hub
* Tagbak – Festive Walk Transport Hub via SM City/Atria
* Ungka – La Paz via CPU-ISAT-U Loop
* Mohon – Mandurriao Business District
* La Paz – Festive Walk Transport Hub via Nabitasan Loop.
According to Public Safety and Transportation Management Office (PSTMO) head Jeck Conlu, jeepneys servicing these routes will observe shifts so that passengers would be served 24 hours.
It will also be easy to identify these routes because there will be number coding and nameplates.
Conlu said 80 percent of the units will still be traditional jeepneys because the modernized jeepneys ordered by transport cooperatives are yet to be delivered.
The city’s LPTRP bars provincial jeepneys from entering the city. They will drop their passengers at perimeter boundary transport terminals.
LTFRB chairman Atty. Martin Delgra III, LTFRB Region 6 director Richard Osmeña and Transportation assistant secretary for Road Transport and Infrastructures Mark Steven Pastor, on Feb. 18 this year, handed over to Treñas the LTFRB Memorandum Circular on the approved LPTRP of the city.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) gave LTFRB the authority to deliberate and take appropriate action on proposed new/additional routes pursuant to the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP) and Memorandum Circular No 2018-006.
The city’ LPTRP was reviewed and evaluated by DOTR, and recommended for the issuance of a Notice of Compliance (NOC).
On Dec.3, 2021 LTFRB-6 issued a NOC to Iloilo City signed by Osmeña requesting the Sangguniang Panlungsod to pass an ordinance adopting the LPTRP.
Pursuant to Section 4(f) of Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) No. 001 – 2017 between DOTr and the Department of Interior and Local Government, the updating of the LPTRP may be done by the local government unit at least once every three years after the last approval.
The city council eventually passed Regulatory Ordinance No. 2021-02 or “An Ordinance Adopting and Approving the Local Public Transportation Route Plan (LPTRP) of Iloilo City Providing Policies and Guidelines for its Implementation and for Other Purposes”. It was signed by Treñas on Jan. 28, 2022./PN
