ILOILO CITY: The city and provincial governments of Iloilo formalized on Friday a transport agreement allowing a certain percentage of consolidated public utility jeepneys (PUJs) from the first towns to enter Iloilo City.
Signatories to the agreement included Governor Arthur Defensor Jr., Iloilo City Traffic Management Unit vice chairperson Uldarico Garbanzos, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) OIC regional director Salvador Altura Jr., Iloilo Provincial Administrator Raul Banias, Provincial Planning and Development Officer Mario Nillos, and representatives of first-town local government units (LGUs) and transport cooperatives.
‘We are doing this (because) we want order. We have to adjust in the future,’ Defensor said in his message as he expressed his appreciation to the city government for allowing such an arrangement.
Under the agreement, 40 percent of consolidated first-town PUJs can enter the city from 6 a.m. until 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. until midnight, while only 25 percent ar
e allowed during off-peak hours.
On Saturdays, 40 percent can enter the city the whole day, and 100 percent during Sundays and holidays.
The agreement also prohibited first-town jeepneys from loading passengers while inbound to their point of destination, but outbound units could pick up passengers in designated loading and unloading areas.
Altura said the agreement harmonizes the operation of the proposed local public transport plan (LPTRP) of the provincial government and the enhanced plan of the city government.
‘This will also address the concern of Iloilo City when it comes to sufficiency of supply and the control of traffic. Finally, a written document is executed by the authorized representatives of both LGUs, and we at the LTFRB are just so happy to be part of it,’ he said.
Altura said they would also work hard for the early approval of the LPTRP of the province, which is with the Department of Transportation (DOTr) for review and approval.
‘We believe that once the LPTRP of the province is in p
lace, this will practically resolve the perceived conflict that had been experienced in the implementation of this aspect of the modernization program,’ he said, adding that the current agreement is like a dry-run of the provincial LPTRP.
Source: Philippines News Agency
