Iloilo City’s enhanced LPTRP may be implemented before end-2023

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

The Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP) of Iloilo City may be implemented in October 2023 or before the yearend.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), in a Memorandum Circular released on August 23, has approved the new route plan which has a total of 25 rationalized routes.

“Ang pananaw ko is kaya na namun yah by next month. So most probably by October… Or before the end of the year,” said Jeck Conlu, head of the Public Safety and Transportation Management Office.

“Ara na ang [Memorandum Circular], which means to say may go signal na kita sa pag implement sang aton LPTRP sa syudad,” he added.

He, however, noted that the full implementation is yet to be discussed with the LTFRB, transport cooperatives, the city engineer’s office, and the city and provincial government of Iloilo.

Conlu said that once implemented, impacts and changes in the jeepney routes will not be felt since PSTMO has been “silently” running the 25 routes of the LPTRP.

“Kung tan-awon natun sa subong, indi na siya nga parehus sang una nga daw kadako gid sang gin bag-o. Subong ang gina run sang aton route is 80% or 70% or more. Kung may mabatyagan kiat indi na siya amo sina ka drastic,” he explained.

Conlu posited that they will also deploy personnel in terminals to assist commuters.

“But definitely, indi na ni siya amo parehos sang una. Kung ano ang ginasakyan mo subong, ndi ni siya mag layo layo ah,” he added.

Conlu said major changes can possibly be felt to “first town” jeepneys since they will have their designated loading and unloading areas. The first town jeepneys are from the municipalities Pavia, Leganes, and Oton.

The PSTMO head said that there are enough jeepneys for the commuters. He noted that the city currently has 482 modernized jeepneys, which is augmented by more than 1,000 traditional jeepneys under a transport cooperative.

“Hopefully before year-end ma-increase pa gid ang aton modernized jeepneys. Bisan maka 600 lang kita nga units. Dako na ina siya nga impact sa volume of passenger nga ma-cater natun per round trip,” he added.

The LPTRP caters to 1,782 modernized jeepneys.