Transport coop backs park-and-ride plan in Iloilo

By Joseph Bernard A. Marzan

The head of a transport cooperative in Iloilo City has expressed support for a proposed park-and-ride scheme for public utility vehicles, citing its potential to address the growing number of private vehicles while stressing the need for dedicated parking areas in public spaces.

Halley Alcarde, general manager of the Western Visayas Transport Cooperative, which operates several PUV routes in the city, said the scheme would be a “big advantage” for both operators and commuters and could help ease traffic congestion.

“The ratio of private vehicles compared to public transport vehicles is [largely uneven], so it is advisable to have a park-and-ride scheme,” Alcarde said in an interview Monday, Jan. 5.

Alcarde said the program would only be effective if adequate spaces are provided where private vehicles can park and passengers can transfer conveniently to PUVs.

He added that implementation should be gradual to allow transport operators enough time to ensure the availability of vehicles to ferry passengers.

“We need spaces in our designated terminals so that private vehicles can park and commute into the city,” Alcarde said.

“If the park-and-ride scheme could be slowly implemented and not drastically, maybe we can support it,” he added.

Alcarde also said the Department of Transportation should support the proposal, noting that it aligns with the national government’s public transport modernization efforts.

How the scheme works

City Councilor Sedfrey Cabaluna earlier explained the proposed scheme in a radio interview on Dec. 30.

The program is primarily targeted at students from various schools who, together with their parents, would be encouraged to park in designated areas and use PUVs to travel to school.

Cabaluna said the initiative aims to reduce the volume of parked vehicles in the City Proper.

“[Students] will not have to go to the crowded City Proper. They will be assembled in one area, and they will ride public transport going to their schools,” Cabaluna said.

“Imagine one school in one morning — 1,000 students. That’s [approximately] 800 vehicles. If we can reduce that to public transport, even if we convince 300 [students] to participate in a park-and-ride system, we can reduce 50 vehicles, and that’s already significant,” he added.

Cabaluna acknowledged that gaining support from stakeholders, particularly parents, may take time.

The proposal is among several measures being discussed by the city government as part of a broader transport management plan aimed at reducing traffic congestion in Iloilo City.