ILOILO City – The Iloilo City Traffic Management Unit (ICTMU) insisted that only 25 percent of public utility jeepneys (PUJs) from Iloilo province’s “first towns” will be allowed to enter the city.
This decision is part of the Enhanced Local Public Transport Route Plan (ELPTRP), stressed retired polic colonel Uldarico Garbanzos, ICTMU head.
Despite approval from Mayor Jerry Treñas for Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr.’s request to increase this limit to 40 percent during peak hours, Garbanzos cited potential traffic congestion and competition with city routes as reasons for maintaining the 25 percent limit.
Peak hours are defined as from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Garbanzos emphasized that allowing 40 percent of jeepneys into the city would create significant traffic congestion and adversely affect transport cooperatives’ investments in the city.
He mentioned that a 15 percent standby or buffer of PUJ units per route could be deployed if the 25 percent is insufficient during peak hours.
Mario Nillos of the Provincial Planning and Development Office acknowledged the city government’s decision despite the initial agreement for a 40 percent allowance during peak hours.
In support of ICTMU’s decision, the Western Visayas Alliance of Transport Cooperatives and Corporations Incorporated (WVATCCI), led by President Rizalito Alido, issued a manifesto backing the 25 percent limit. It raised the following points:
* Allowing the entry of more than 25 percent of traditional units from the “first towns” would create traffic congestion and affect the turn-around of awarded units of city loop public transport vehicles, thereby greatly affecting the revenue generations/profitability of the routes/cooperatives which would affect the provision of quality transport services to the riding public.
* The road networks of Iloilo City is old and have limited capacity; increasing the number of units to enter in the city would cause traffic distortion and affect timely and reliable transport service.
WVATCCI assured the riding public of pushing terminal operators for the continuous improvement and development of their terminal for the organized queuing of units and smooth flow of dispatching operation.
WVATCCI members include: Molo Transport Service Cooperative; Santa Barbara – New Lucena Transport Service Cooperative; Aerostar Transport Cooperative; Iloilo Superman Owners and Drivers Transport Cooperative; Iloilo City Alliance Operators and Drivers Transport Cooperative; JJL Transport Corporation
Pavia Iloilo Jeepney Owners and Drivers Transport Cooperative; Joroshley Transport Services Incorporated; Western Visayas Transport Cooperative; Leon Transport Service Cooperative; and Calumpang Iloilo Service Transport Cooperative/PN
