TRAFFIC RECKONING: TTMO given June 2026 deadline to solve 38 chokepoints

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

The Traffic and Transportation Management Office has until June 2026 to submit short- and long-term solutions to address 38 identified traffic chokepoints across Iloilo City, Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu said.

Speaking at a press conference on Feb. 19, Treñas-Chu said the TTMO is conducting mobility studies and daily traffic counts in congestion hotspots to determine the most effective interventions.

“We are doing it gradually. We will identify the issues in these chokepoints, and our TTMO knows that their deadline is June 2026,” the mayor said.

Treñas-Chu said the city government cannot afford to wait for the results of ongoing studies by Sweco and the Department of Transportation under the World Bank-backed Area-Focused Public Transport Modernization Program.

Sweco, a Sweden-based global engineering consultancy, is partnering with Iloilo City on a feasibility study for the Metro Iloilo Integrated Public Transport System, which aims to modernize the area’s transport network.

Iloilo City has also been selected as a pilot area for the Department of Transportation and World Bank’s public transport modernization program, which seeks to improve mobility and reduce congestion in urban centers.

While awaiting these broader transport reforms, the TTMO is focusing on five priority areas, each undergoing separate traffic studies and vehicle counts.

Treñas-Chu emphasized the interconnected nature of traffic congestion in the city, noting that addressing one bottleneck often requires interventions in multiple linked areas.

“To solve one traffic chokepoint, you have to solve three areas. The traffic problem in General Luna is not just a problem of General Luna—it reaches Molo. So if we solve General Luna, we also have to solve Molo,” she said.

Treñas-Chu said she directed the TTMO to coordinate closely with stakeholders to ensure traffic measures are practical and supported by affected sectors.

She said some schools are considering establishing a school bus system to help manage student transportation more efficiently, with school buses potentially integrated with existing transport cooperatives.

Under the proposal, parents would drop their children at designated park-and-ride points outside the city, from which organized school buses would transport students to their respective schools.

“We are studying that because our stakeholders are also interested in helping lessen our traffic,” she said.

Aside from infrastructure and route management, Treñas-Chu underscored the need for stricter driver education and enforcement of traffic rules.

“If we have rules and we have a system, our flow is correct. We have started to deploy temporary traffic signs,” she said.

She noted that while traffic signage falls under the mandate of the Department of Public Works and Highways, the city government cannot wait for national funding and procurement before taking interim action.