ILOILO City – The city government has been given six months to fine-tune the Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP). Within this trial period, it will be tweaked to the satisfaction, hopefully, of the commuting public, said Mayor Jerry Treñas.
“We welcome feedback from the general public, transport groups, business groups and others on what else can be done to improve the plan,” he said.
The cause-oriented group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan – Panay (BAYAN) has called for the cancellation of the LPTRP, saying it has forced people to spend more for transportation fare, and has also resulted to longer travel periods.
Treñas is not keen on cancelling the LPTRP outright. He assured the public “gina-refine ta ini…little by little.”
He stressed the importance of dialogue in looking for ways “nga ma-resolve ang mga issues.”
One of these issues is the doubling or even the tripling of fare of commuters from the provinces just to get to Iloilo City because provincial jeepneys from the so-called “first towns” are no longer allowed to enter the city.
“Ang issue sa first towns, pangitaan ta paagi para indi man mabudlayan ang mga commuters,” said Treñas. “I hope we will be able to come to (agreeable) terms.”
The “first towns” are municipalities adjacent to Iloilo City – Pavia, Oton, San Miguel, Leganes, and Santa. Jeepneys from these towns have short routes going to the city, and now made even shorter by the LPTRP because they are no longer allowed to enter the city.
“We will continue to dialogue with everyone para ma-improve pa gid ang LPTRP,” said Treñas.
According to BAYAN, for many drivers and small jeepney operators, LPTRP spelled the death of their livelihood.
“We demand its cancellation and call on the city government to hold public consultations,” the group stressed through deputy spokesperson Bryan Bosque.
The group claimed that from the drafting of the LPTRP until its passage by the city council, not one public consultation was conducted.
“The city government could have retained the existing routes and added only the new seven routes after public consultations if they are really needed,” BAYAN Panay noted.
“They can come to my office. The door is open for them,” said Treñas.
Suggestions may be submitted to Public Safety and Transportation Management Office (PSTMO) chief Jeck Conlu; Executive Assistant for Community Welfare Uldarico Garbanzos; and Iloilo City Planning and Development Office chief Jose Roni Peñalosa.
In a statement, BAYAN accused the LPTRP of favoring big business, pointing out that nine out of the 24 routes are made to pass the Iloilo Business Park (Festive Walk / Megaworld area), and five passing the Atria.
Other points the group raised were the following:
* Only four routes pass by the Iloilo Provincial Capitol area as this was removed from the routes of Molo and Diversion Road-bound jeepneys. The new routes are a burden for many employees and workers.
* The Jaro Liko Tagbak route also increased in length and changed its course, affecting patients going to Mabini Street where a dialysis center is located.
* It is now more expensive to get to Iloilo Science and Technology University, where thousands of underprivileged students from northern and central towns of Iloilo province are studying, since the Pavia, Santa Barbara and Leganes routes are now barred from entering the city even though their franchises are yet to expire.
* Local products of farmers are no longer directly brought to Iloilo Terminal Market (Super) and Jaro markets./PN
