ILOILO City – Forty percent of consolidated public utility jeepneys (PUJs) from “first towns” will be allowed to enter Iloilo City during peak hours, and 25 percent during off-peak hours, the Iloilo provincial government clarified.
The decision, disclosed through a press conference by the Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO), followed a recent approval from Iloilo City’s Mayor Jerry Treñas.
The covered routes include those originating from the towns of Leganes, Pavia, and Oton, with “peak hours” defined as from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily.
These municipalities are the nearest to Iloilo City and in fact share borders with the metro.
Mario Nillos of the PPDO explained, “We had communicated this plan to Mayor Treñas via a letter from Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. on May 8, requesting that at least 40 percent of the consolidated PUJs for these routes be allowed to operate within their existing route structure.”
These are the existing routes referred to by Nillos:
* Oton – Iloilo City Loop
* Leganes – Iloilo City Loop via Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr. Avenue
* Leganes – La Paz, Iloilo City Loop via La Paz
* Pavia – Iloilo City Loop via Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr. Avenue
* Pavia – Iloilo City Loop via La Paz
The 40 percent adjustment aims to accommodate passenger demand from these municipalities to Iloilo City.
The city government had initially approved the entry of 10 units per day for the Santa Barbara – Iloilo City route via the SEn. Benigno Aquino Jr. Avenue, but following confusion and further discussions, the allowance was extended to the other mentioned routes.
“The province and the city held a meeting this Thursday morning to clarify the percentage of consolidated PUJs from ‘first towns’ allowed into the city, which stands at 40 percent during peak and 25 percent during off-peak hours,” Nillos added.
The rationale behind these percentages stems from a simulation exercise conducted from February to March 2024 by the PPDO, which examined passenger flow from all 43 towns, including Passi City.
“This has a basis, as we observed and computed the average passenger numbers coming from the first towns, leading to our decision to set the consolidation at 40 percent,” Nillos clarified.
The identification of eligible consolidated PUJs entering Iloilo City will be based on visible route stickers and a list of PUJs and their plate numbers forwarded weekly by transport cooperatives to the city government.
“Cooperatives and the Iloilo City Traffic Management Unit (ICTMU) agree on a weekly assignment of PUJs based on 40 percent capacity. Vehicles not on the list, even with stickers, will be denied entry,” stressed Nillos.
For PUJs coming from other towns, Nillos noted that their operations would be limited to terminals, and passenger transfer would be managed by the city government, ensuring that passengers disembarking at terminals have access to city transportation./PN
