ILOILO City – Public commute experiences, especially in crowded jeepneys, may seem humorous to some, but they highlight a security concern that warrants immediate action.
Several viral posts about overloaded modernized jeepney units in the city have moved Mayor Jerry Treñas to consider regulating passenger pickups.
Strictly speaking, overloading of public utility vehicles (PUVs) is prohibited. However, Treñas recognizes the urgency passengers feel, especially during rush hours. He’s thus calling for the delivery of more modern jeeps.
City transport cooperatives have apprised him of forthcoming additional modernized jeepney units. In light of this, he is pressing for a collaboration between the cooperatives and Public Safety and Transportation Management Office (PSTMO) head Jeck Conlu to formulate strategies against overloading, supplemented by the new jeepney units.
A photo inside a crammed modernized jeepney, shared by Dyna Jean Gumape Samillano on Facebook on Sept. 19, drew the attention of many Ilonggos.
She captioned it: “Utuy2 ko gina kadlaw sa mga upod ko nga pasahero ga singgit sila sa driver nga kaigo pa kaigo pa bisan du hindi na kami ka ginhawa sa sulod HAMBAL NILA KAIGO GANI BAKA SA KALDERO MAY SABAW NA MAY MAIS PA bisan hindi kmi kilalanay sang tupad ko ga utoy² kami kadlaw (sic).”
LTFRB warns coops
Atty. Salvador Altura, legal counsel for the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Region 6, stressed that drivers and passenger assistance officers (PAOs), often known as “conductors”, should prioritize passengers’ safety over income.
If modernized jeepney units incur three overloading offenses, their cooperative might face the revocation of the franchise.
However, operators or cooperatives bear the primary responsibility to ensure their units do not overload.
An overload is counted if the number of standing passengers exceeds 10.
Despite these rules, Altura observed that PAOs or drivers don’t typically coerce passengers. The passengers themselves often insist on boarding, especially during peak hours.
Due to limited personnel, LTFRB-6 can’t monitor all modernized jeepneys and traditional PUJs. Nonetheless, they constantly liaise with the PSTMO to address these issues.
“Kon sundon sa amon regulasyon ang resulta sina is kanselahon ang prangkisa. Butang si Coop A tatlo ka violation sa isa ka adlaw, si Coop B and C amo man. Ti, kon i-implement ta ang mando sang regulasyon, tanan nga prangkisa maubos sang kanselar. Imbes nga overloading lang ang problema, ang dason ta nga problema wala ta na salakyan kay ubos kanselar (franchise),” explained Altura.
He added: “Dapat nga i-regulate gid man na sila, not so much as to impose the penalty, pero may presence bala [of authorities] tapnaon ang excessive overloading.”
He gave the primary obligation to operators or cooperatives to take measures so that each of their unit does not commit overloading.
Will enhanced LPTRP curb overloading?
The LTFRB-6 legal counsel believes that implementing the enhanced Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP) can significantly mitigate, if not entirely resolve, overloading and other traffic-related problems.
Once the modernized units are correctly assigned to specific routes, traffic flow should improve.
Some reasons for the current deficiency of units during peak hours include PUJs getting stuck in traffic and some traditional jeepneys with provisional authority choosing not to operate during those times.
To recall, Conlu said the enhanced LPTRP of Iloilo City may be implemented within this year.
LTFRB chairman Atty. Toefilo E. Guadiz III issued on Aug. 29 the operational guidelines for the LPTRP contained in Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 2023-036.
The enhanced LPTRP has 17 rationalized routes, one enhanced new/developmental route, and seven new/developmental routes.
Under the enhanced LPTRP, 1,782 authorized modernized jeepney units are needed or approved to operate in the city.
Currently, there are around 500 units in operation, but Conlu said once the enhanced LPTRP is implemented, there would be enough modernized jeepneys to serve passengers./PN
