ROUTE PLAN. A public utility jeepney (PUJ) plying the Sibalom - San Jose de Buenavista route in this photo taken on Thursday (Feb. 1, 2024). Board Member Victor Condez said in an interview Thursday (Feb. 1, 2024) that the provincial government is waiting for the approval of the proposed Local Public Transport Route Plan of various towns in Antique. (PNA photo by Annabel Consuelo J. Petinglay)
SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique – Antique’s provincial board is requesting the Land Transportation and Franchising Board (LTFRB) 6 (Western Visayas) to approve its Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP) to make way for the opening of new franchises for public conveyance.
Board Member Victor Condez said in an interview Thursday that the provincial government has yet to get an update on the proposed Local Public Transport Route Plans of the municipalities in the province submitted to the LTFRB about five years ago.
The LPTRP is one of the requirements under the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP).
“The modernization program will upgrade the public transportation in Antique,” he said, noting that modernized public utilities are safe, well-seated, and more convenient for passengers.
Condez sponsored a resolution during their regular session on Jan. 29 requesting the LTFRB to facilitate the approval of the LPTRP that contains, among others, the approved franchise and units allowed to ply every route.
“There is also a need to ease the travel time of students and other passengers from Antique to Iloilo and vice versa,” he said.
Passengers going to Iloilo usually experience a longer waiting time at the Dalipe Terminal in San Jose de Buenavista or the terminal in Mohon, Oton in Iloilo because of the lack of public transport.
In a related interview, Federation of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association (FEJODA) chairman Ludovico Ramos said they had long been waiting for the approval of their route plan.
He said their 90-member cooperative is acquiring a loan from the Development Bank of the Philippines to purchase the needed units.
“We will abide with whatever policy the LTFRB will be implementing in adherence with the Modernization Plan,” he said. (PNA)
