ILOILO City – Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) Secretary Jaime Bautista expressed optimism that more local government units (LGUs) in Western Visayas will meet the requirements of the Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP).
Bautista shared this sentiment during his address at the first Western Visayas Transport Summit 2024, organized by the Western Visayas Alliance of Transport Cooperatives and Corporations, Inc. (WVATCCI), held last Friday, November 15.
“We are committed to helping LGUs complete their LPTRPs. Currently, around 20 percent of the entire Philippines has adopted LPTRPs. We hope Western Visayas will have more LGUs joining this effort,” Bautista said.
As of now, Iloilo City and Bacolod City are the only areas in the region with approved LPTRPs.
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) is targeting approval of the proposed LPTRP for Iloilo Province within this month.
Bautista emphasized that after the modernization program, DOTr will focus on route rationalization, a process requiring LGUs’ cooperation to identify proper routes for allocation to operators and cooperatives. Route rationalization is a key component of each LGU’s LPTRP.
Once LGUs’ LPTRPs are approved, the next step will be vehicle modernization, particularly for public utility jeepneys.
Bautista clarified that old vehicles will not be replaced immediately but encouraged operators to prepare for the transition with government assistance through equity subsidy programs.
He highlighted the support available from Land Bank of the Philippines and Development Bank of the Philippines, which offer loans to cooperatives and corporations for acquiring modernized units.
DOTr strongly backs the Public Transportation Modernization Program (PTMP), Bautista said, as it aims to provide passengers with more comfortable transport options while contributing to climate change mitigation.
Bautista assured that DOTr, along with LTFRB and the Land Transportation Office (LTO), is ready to assist transport cooperatives and corporations in addressing issues related to modernization.
He also commended Iloilo Province and Iloilo City for their high jeepney consolidation rates, exceeding 90 percent, significantly above the national average of 80 percent.
“We are here to show our full support for this important government initiative — the public transport modernization program. While challenges remain, we continue working together as cooperatives and corporations to provide better services to passengers. This is the vision of our department: a comfortable, successful, accessible, safe, and sustainable transport system,” Bautista said./PN
