March 28, 2024

The city council assured the transport groups they will be the city government’s partners in finalizing the Localized Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP).
Once approved, the LPTRP will be considered as the blueprint of the road network and details of the required mode and number of PUV units to serve the city. It will be the comprehensive basis for an effective delivery of public land transport service in the city.
The proposed ordinance adopting the LPTRP of the city is still on its second reading in the city council. The LPTRP has not yet been finalized pending the resolution of certain issues brought up by different transport groups.
Councilor Benny Bomogao, chairperson of the city council committee on public utilities, transport, and traffic legislation reassured the transport group representatives during the council’s regular session last Jan. 17 that the LPTRP will be approved by the council only when all issues have been ironed out. 
The adoption of the LPTRP into an ordinance shall pave the way for the consolidation of numerous and replicated routes of public utility jeepneys into 28 rationalized routes with six additional development routes, leading to a more systematic management and monitoring by the concerned government agencies.
Bomogao said the proposed LPTRP was returned to the Traffic and Transportation Management Division of the City Engineering Office for possible revision, taking into account the petitions of the transport sector.
During the council’s regular session on Nov. 15, 2021, Lourdes Alcantara, a representative of jeepney associations plying in PNR, Gabriela Silang, Military Cut-off, Dagsian, Hillside, and Greenwater, complained that the merging of their routes into one rationalized route will reduce the number of units to 45, which is greatly disproportionate to the number of the commuters in the aforementioned places.
She said the merging of short trip lines will also decrease the income of the concerned transport groups.
The proposed LPTRP also intends to change the endpoint of the Gabriela Silang-Greenwater-Military Cut-off line. Currently, the endpoint is located at Perfecto St. and shall be transferred to Diego Silang St.
This, according to the associations, will inconvenience the passengers carrying heavy loads going to the public market and grocery stores, especially the senior citizens and persons with disabilities, as Perfecto St. is closer to those destinations than Diego Silang St. 
The associations added the inclusion of UP Drive, T. Kalaw, and Session Road Extension into the routes of the Trancoville and Aurora Hill lines under the proposed LPTRP will reduce the number of passengers of their short trip lines.
Transport groups plying in Maria Basa, Navy Base, Liteng, and Tip Top also opposed the proposed route of the Trancoville district line because it will include Gov. Pack Road-UP Drive-T. Kalaw St.-Session Rd. Extension-North Drive-Leonard Wood Rd.-General Luna Road-Bonifacio St.-Rimando Rd.-Manuel Roxas Rd.
They said this will “greatly contribute to the underlying traffic already experienced in these areas.”
The Scout Barrio John Hay United Operator Driver’s Association, Inc. likewise opposed the inclusion of Gov. Pack Road to UP Drive into the route of the Trancoville and Aurora Hill lines, stressing they will incur daily losses.
The Happy Hallow-Kadaclan Transport Cooperative also stated in their position paper that they reject the merging of their route with the route of Kias jeepneys and that they are appealing for a status quo. 
“The Kias line has a number of jeepneys that is enough to supply public transportation in the areas that it covers. In that case, merging the route of Happy Hallow-Kadaclan with that of Kias will make an oversupply of public transportation while there is delay for the commuters to ride a jeepney and arrive at their destinations considering that the Happy Hallow jeepneys need to go to Kias before going to Kadaclan Village then to Happy Hallow,” the position paper read.
Alcantara urged the council to conduct the public consultation as soon as possible. – Jordan G. Habbiling