Iloilo City mayor to raise jeepney overloading issue at MIGEDC

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

ILOILO CITY – Iloilo City Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu said she will bring recurring concerns over overloaded out-of-town public utility jeepneys (PUJs), especially during late-night trips, before the Metro Iloilo-Guimaras Economic Development Council (MIGEDC).

She said the move is intended to improve commuter safety and public transportation services across the metropolitan area.

Treñas-Chu, who chairs the MIGEDC, said she will convene the council to discuss possible measures to increase the number of jeepneys serving routes during the last trips of the day.

“I think this is an issue that we can discuss in the MIGEDC — how we can help our people. The overloading incident that we saw did not happen in Iloilo City, but as chairperson of the MIGEDC, one of our discussions should be how we can provide additional routes or increase the number of jeepneys operating on the last trips,” she said on Wednesday, Aug. 5.

The MIGEDC is an interlocal government alliance that covers Iloilo City, the province of Guimaras, and the Iloilo towns of Pavia, Oton, Leganes, San Miguel, Santa Barbara, and Cabatuan.

The council coordinates development initiatives across Metro Iloilo and Guimaras, a metropolitan area that serves as a major trade, transport, and service hub in Western Visayas.

The mayor’s statement came after a viral video showed a PUJ leaving the Pavia People’s Terminal in Barangay Ungka, Pavia, Iloilo, with passengers riding on the roof and clinging to the rear and sides of the vehicle.

The jeepney, operated by Pretty Boy Transport System, was bound for INCA in Lambunao when the incident occurred.

The group has 25 jeepneys serving the Calinog to Pavia People’s Terminal route via INCA.

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) Region 6 has imposed a 90-day preventive suspension on the driver’s license and issued a show-cause order against the registered operator over alleged road safety violations.

Under Republic Act No. 4136, otherwise known as the Land Transportation and Traffic Code, passengers are prohibited from riding on the roof, outside, or rear of a moving vehicle, and drivers are required to prevent such dangerous practices.

While the LTO-6 issued those orders, primary jurisdiction over land-based public transportation rests with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).

The LTO handles driver licensing and motor vehicle registration, while the LTFRB grants and regulates the franchises under which public utility vehicles operate.

The driver reportedly tried to ask excess passengers to get off, but they refused because no other public transportation was available.

The driver was supposed to carry only passengers bound for Lambunao and Calinog.

However, commuters headed to Santa Barbara and Cabatuan also insisted on boarding because no more jeepneys were available, causing the vehicle to become overcrowded.

Treñas-Chu said the shortage of public transportation at night has become a recurring concern, forcing many commuters to look for alternative means of transportation after regular jeepney services end.

“We’ve seen that when malls close at around 10 p.m., many people have no choice but to ride motorcycles because there are no more jeepneys operating,” she said.

She said the Iloilo City government regularly coordinates with transport cooperatives to ensure that franchise holders continue serving their assigned routes within the city.

“We communicate with our transport cooperatives. We monitor their assigned areas to make sure the routes awarded to them are being served,” she said.

Treñas-Chu appealed to transport operators to maximize the franchises granted to them by keeping public utility vehicles available, especially during hours when commuters need them most.

“At the end of the day, our people should have access to transportation. We appeal to transport operators — you have a franchise, yet you are not operating,” she said.