BY GEROME DALIPE IV
ILOILO City – The Sangguniang Panlungsod has passed a resolution requesting the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and other concerned agencies to reevaluate the implementation of the controversial Public Transport Modernization Program (PTMP).
The resolution highlights that five out of ten key components of the program were not seriously considered by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) during the planning stage. These components include route rationalization, financing, support mechanisms, consolidation, and the vehicle utility program.
The resolution questions the feasibility of modernization given the inadequate government subsidy. It points out the lack of thorough study by the DOTr in preparing the Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP) and suggests that the LTFRB should participate in the preparation process alongside the city and provincial governments.
It also proposes the partial or pilot implementation of the route plan rather than full-scale implementation, emphasizing that effective management systems have not been realized as intended.
According to the LTFRB in Western Visayas, the franchise consolidation rate stands at 72.2 percent. In Iloilo City, the DOTr has approved 25 rationalized routes out of the original 35 routes before the LPTRP’s approval.
Out of 2,535 traditional jeepneys in the city, 1,782 modern jeepneys have been authorized to operate on these 25 routes, which include both old and new routes. These units have been allocated to 14 transport cooperatives and two corporations.
The resolution describes the PUV modernization and route rationalization as “novel concepts” but criticizes their execution and implementation for falling short of public expectations. It calls for a thorough study of route rationalization to address passenger demands and the locations of major movements and future needs, particularly for PUV units entering Iloilo City.
The resolution also addresses the high costs associated with procuring modern units, high operational expenses, and tariffs on imported utility vehicles. It highlights the mismanagement of several transport cooperatives due to a lack of training on fleet management, which raises the risk of bankruptcy.
The resolution argues against a “one size fits all” approach to jeepney modernization, citing varying population sizes, income capacities, and the adverse impacts on displaced unconsolidated PUJs and their dependents without proper amelioration programs.
In addition to the DOTr, the council has called on other agencies, including the Office of the Transport Cooperative (OTC), the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), other local government units, Congress, and Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, to address these concerns.
The modernization program promises drivers and operators stable, sufficient, and dignified livelihoods while ensuring commuters reach their destinations quickly, safely, and comfortably. It also includes regulatory reforms and new guidelines for issuing franchises for road-based public transport services. Local government units are empowered to draft their route plans, considering their familiarity with the terrain and passenger demand within their respective jurisdictions./PN
