Thousands of passengers from towns in Iloilo as well as Iloilo City residents were left scrambling to get public transportation during rush hours in the morning and in the afternoon of Monday.
The Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP) implemented by the Iloilo City government met opposition from ordinary Ilonggos as the number of mini-buses meant to phase out old jeepeneys could not cater to the volume of passengers that commute in and out of this city daily.
Only 77 out of the 1,767 mini-buses had been granted approval by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) which pushed the local government of Iloilo City to implement it while banning provincial-based jeepneys from entering the city premises.
Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas apologized to the public in a Monday press conference for the inconvenience that the new transportation system caused.
However, Treñas will not back down on the implementation of the LPTRP. He said that adjustments will be made and some changes will be implemented.
Many Ilonggos urged the city government and the LTFRB for gradual implementation as the number of mini-buses still is not enough.
Many of them are calling for the return of the route of the Leganes or Oton jeeps which have long served both provincial and city residents.