ILOILO CITY – A Swedish business group is proposing a bus rapid transit (BRT) here and neighboring towns.
Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas said the Department of Transportation (DOTr) will sign a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on behalf of the Iloilo City government for the feasibility study of the BRT.
ILOILO City Mayor Jerry Treñas (right) and MIGEDC Director Velma Jane Lao discuss the proposed bus rapid transit project of a Swedish business group. (Iloilo City Hall PIO)
The Swedish Embassy, private group Business Sweden, Swedfund, the Iloilo City government, the Metro Iloilo-Guimaras Economic Development Council (MIGEDC), National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), and DOTr have met to discuss the project.
If the project pushes through, the BRT can augment the mini-buses that started plying city streets and neighboring towns when this city formally launched the modern transport plan in June 2022 as part of the national government’s implementation of replacing old traditional jeepneys.
“I believe part of the (feasibility) study is how the old traditional jeepneys will be reintegrated into other options for economic activities,” said Velma Jane Lao, MIGEDC director.
Lao, chief of the Iloilo city government’s Local Economic Development Investment Promotion (LEDIP) Office, noted that the feasibility study will also look into causes and solution of heavy traffic as well as possible entry of the bus system within here and neighboring towns.
Business Sweden will give a $1-million grant to conduct the BRT feasibility study.