ILOILO City – The Iloilo provincial government will commence a dry run for “first town” jeepneys permitted to enter the city.
Mario Nillos, chief of the Iloilo Provincial Planning and Development Office, confirmed to Panay News that the dry run is scheduled from Feb. 15 to March 18.
The first town jeepneys serve Oton, Leganes, San Miguel, and Pavia towns.
The dry run’s purpose is for the provincial government to assess whether the number of modernized jeepney units in the province’s proposed Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP) is adequate.
Additionally, the exercise aims to familiarize the first town jeepneys with the designated unloading and loading areas in Iloilo City.
“During the simulation activity, we will compare the plan to the actual situation. For instance, if the plan for the Leganes to Iloilo City route includes 50 modernized jeepneys, we will assign these units and monitor the dispatching process since a single route may involve cooperation between two or more cooperatives,” said Nillos.
Their recommendation is to implement one dispatch plan to eliminate competition, ensuring revenue sharing is sequential.
During the dry run, the provincial government will deploy enumerators to record important details and identify issues to refine the proposed LPTRP.
In preparation for the dry run, the provincial government’s technical team is conducting a preliminary assessment in the field, especially at transport terminals, to establish a baseline.
The team is particularly evaluating how transport cooperatives manage their jeepney units and the process of passenger alighting at terminals.
On Feb. 6, Nillos convened a coordination meeting with over 30 transport cooperatives in the province at Casa Real de Iloilo, seeking their cooperation for the dry run.
“The number of modernized jeepneys to be involved in the simulation was disclosed, as our LPTRP already designates the number of modernized jeepneys or fleets based on studies,” Nillos added.
Furthermore, Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. reached out to Iloilo City’s Mayor Jerry Treñas, requesting the technical team involved in the enactment of the enhanced LPTRP to list the designated stops for the first town jeepneys during the dry run.
Nillos also contacted the director of the Iloilo Provincial Police Office (IPPO), Police Colonel Ronaldo Palomo, to ensure peace and order throughout the dry run.
The provincial government has coordinated with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) and the Department of Transportation (DOTr) regarding the dry run.
“We will ensure that the public is effectively served, as this is the aim of the public utility modernization program,” said Nillos.
Following the dry run, the province’s technical team will collaborate with the LTFRB and city government to discuss any necessary adjustments before submitting the final draft plan of the proposed LPTRP to the LTFRB for approval this April.
The proposed LPTRP includes 67 rationalized routes and eight new or developmental routes./PN
