The Iloilo City Government crafted and implemented the Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP) based on the directive and guidelines set by the Department of Transportation (DOTr).

This was stressed by Public Safety and Transportation Management Office (PSTMO) head Jeck Conlu amidst criticisms on the new traffic plan.

He noted that local government units (LGUs), under a joint memorandum circular (JMC) signed by the DOTr and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), are mandated to come up with their respective LPTRPs.

LPTRP is a plan detailing the route network, mode and required number of units per mode for delivering public land transport services.

Conlu said the city government started formulating its route plan after Mayor Jerry Treñas created a team with the help of the City Planning Office, National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).

According to Conlu, their first three proposals, which include provincial jeepneys from Metro Iloilo-Guimaras Economic Development Council (MIGEDC) member towns like Leganes, Oton, Pavia and Santa Barbara, were all rejected by the DOTr.

“Ang first three proposals namon wala halos kinalain sa (original) nga ruta sang syudad ilabi na gid sa mga MIGEDC member towns. But because sang guidelines sang DOtr indi gid kami makapa approve,” Conlu said in an interview on IMT Conversations.

He cited LTFRB Memorandum Circular No. 2017-030 (Guidelines for Off-Street Terminal Operations Under Department Order No. 2017-011, otherwise Known As The Omnibus Franchising Guidelines) which provides that “all routes classified as provincial operation with routes ending at highly urbanized city or metropolitan area shall be up to the integrated Terminal Exchange only, if available.”

The memorandun circular also stated that no transport terminal for provincial routes shall be located along the main trunk line inside city centers or metropolitan areas.

“Klaro sa memorandum circular nga ang tanan nga provincial jeepeys asta lang sa terminal sang syduad. At that time medyo na-alarm kami. Bisan nabal-an namon nga may amo ni sya nga guidelines gin attempt gyapon namon nga isulod ang MIGEDC but unfortunately waay gid ini ma-approve sang aton DOTr,” Conlu said.

The DOTr gave LGUs until December 2020 to have their LPTRP approved but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the deadline was extended until December the following year.

Under the DOTr-DILG JMC, LGUs that cannot submit their LPTRP will face administrative sanctions.

The city’s fourth and final proposed LPTRP, which prohibits provincial jeepneys from entering the city, was approved in November last year.

It was adopted in January 2022 through an ordinance and was implemented on June 12 as per the directive of the DOTr.

The approval and implementation of the traffic plan are requirements for the PUV Modernization-related loan applications.

“Whether we like it or not, i-implement gid namon ni sya kay approved na amon LPTRP kag ginahambalan na kita sang aton transport cooperatives sa syudad nga kinanglan nga maka-implement naman sila because na approve naman ang mga loans nila sa bangko kag amat-amat na sila shift sa modernization,” said Conlu.IMT