ILOILO City – To address the dearth in public transport especially on Mondays and Fridays, more provincial jeepneys may be allowed to enter the city.
According to Public Safety and Transportation Management Office (PSTMO) head Jeck Conlu, there were not enough city loop jeepneys and this had resulted to the stranding of commuters.
He, however, said his suggestion must be thoroughly discussed with city-based jeepney associations that could be adversely affected by the entry of more provincial jeepneys.
The Perimeter Boundary Ordinance regulates the entry of provincial jeepneys to the city. 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.
Councilor R Leone Gerochi, chairperson of the committee on transportation in the Sangguniang Panlungsod, welcomed Conlu’s suggestion.
“No need to issue additional franchises for city jeepneys. Allowing provincial jeepneys to enter the city makes more sense,” he said.
One reason for the shortage of jeepneys is traffic congestion, said Gerochi.
“This discourages jeepney drivers from making more trips,” he said.
To further ensure enough jeepneys plying the streets, Gerochi said, jeepney drivers and operators with similar routes may form associations for easy regulation.
“For example, Jaro CPU jeepneys dapat grupo na sila into one organization kag i-regulate ang pagguwa sang salakayan. Meaning to say, mapwersa gid sila,” said Gerochi.
The franchise for public utility jeepneys is called a Certificate of Public Convenience because the primary concern is the convenience of commuters,” stressed Gerochi./PN
