Sta. Barbara jeepney drivers oppose Pavia-Iloilo City route
Drivers of passenger jeepneys from Sta. Barbara, Iloilo opposed the creation of the Pavia-Iloilo City route as it will affect their income.
Supported by the Pinagkaisang Samahan ng Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide (Piston), the group held a transport strike then staged a rally in front of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory (LTFRB) office yesterday. As result many commuters from Sta. Barbara and Pavia towns became stranded at the start of the week.
At present, commuters from Pavia town, 9.7 kilometers from Iloilo City proper, are being served by the Sta. Barbara-Iloilo City jeepneys.
Pavia Councilor Bing Gonzaga in an interview with Aksyon Radyo Iloilo said their town has approved the creation of a transport service for their town considering that their town’s population has already grown.
“I believe we are entitled to have our own transport organization. We cannot just depend on transportation from other towns,” Gonzaga said.
PISTON spokesperson Edgar Salarda said the creation of the Pavia-Iloilo City route will only add to the traffic congestion in Iloilo City. “It will also affect the income of drivers and small operators,” he said.
In a statement sent to media outlets Salarda said that the issuance of franchise by LTFRB of the new route is illegal as there is an existing moratorium on issuance of new franchises.
He called for the suspension of LTFRB regional director Porfirio Clavel for his continued approval of new franchises despite the moratorium.
Salarda also lambasted Iloilo City’s Perimeter Boundary Ordinance (PBO) which he said is the main culprit why transport organizations in the city and province of Iloilo are having problems.
He said PBO did not solve the problem on traffic congestion in the city. “Napamatud-an na nga inutil ang PBO sa pagsolbar sa traffic problem. Nagpamanggad lamang ini sa mga nagakontrol sa mga terminals, nagapigos sa mga drivers kag magagmay nga operators, kag nagapabudlay sa commuters,” reads Salarda’s statement.
Clavel, on the other hand, said he respects the action of the jeepney drivers.
“It is also their constitutional right to express their concern and they made it peacefully for us also to consider,” he said.
Clavel added he will set a dialogue with Sta. Barbara mayor Isabelo Maquino to address the said concerns.
Gonzaga stressed that the Pavia-Iloilo City route they have proposed will not affect the existing Sta. Barbara route as it will take the route going to La Paz plaza. The Sta. Barbara route is until the Tanza area in the city proper.