Modern PUVs launched; Megaworld to open world-class Transport Hubs

We'll be seeing more modernized public utility vehicles here in Western Visayas as the Department of Transportation (DOTr)  finally rolled out new jeepneys, taxis and point-to-point buses nationwide this weekend.

"It is part of the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP), a flagship program under the Duterte administration and spearheaded by the Department of Transportation (DOTr)," Richard Osmena, regional director of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board 6 said during a press conference held at the Richmonde Hotel Iloilo, July 10, 2019.

The LTFRB-6 launched around 106 Point-to-Point (P2P) buses, equipped with the auto-pay system and serving the following routes: Iloilo Business Park to Iloilo Airport, Iloilo Business Park to Roxas Airport, Iloilo Business Park to Kalibo Airport, and Iloilo Business Park to Caticlan Airport (Boracay), and vice versa. 

They also launched modernized PUVs composed of 365 taxis and 165 jeepneys that are also equipped with the auto-pay system.

Vallacar Transit (Ceres) and Southwest Travel and Tours will provide the point-to-point buses. The officer of Southwest Travel and Tours revealed that they will ply the Iloilo Business Park - Iloilo International Airport route for a price of P80 for adults and P64 for senior citizens, PWDS and students (one way). As of this writing, Ceres has yet to announce its fare and schedule.

Megaworld Iloilo Business Park Transport Hubs

To support the government's thrust, property giant Megaworld is set to open its Transport Hubs this year to serve the requirements of the region’s first Premium P2P service in Iloilo Business Park.

Seen as the best in the region, the P350-million Iloilo Business Park Transport Hubs will have two terminals – one for departures and another for arrivals. They will be strategically located along the township’s Megaworld Boulevard, just in front of the Festive Walk Mall. 

The terminals will have their own Traveler’s Lounge. The lounge is an airconditioned facility where passengers can relax and wait for their trips at the Departure Terminal, and also wait for their transits or pick-up vehicles at the Arrival Terminal. Each lounge will have shower rooms and toilets, all for the convenience of departing and arriving passengers.

At the Departure Terminal's lounge, passengers will also have the convenience of booking and purchasing their tickets at its own Ticketing Booths. It will also have Breastfeeding Stations, and Free WiFi access.

Each terminal will also have its own Food Park where passengers can indulge in a wide array for food choices while waiting.

At the second and third level of each terminal, 200 parking slots will be made available for free.

“We aim to provide world-class and convenient service in land transport for the local and international travelers in and out of Iloilo City. Hopefully, this will serve as a model for other transport hubs in the region,” said Jose Arnulfo Batac, head of estate management of Megaworld.

“We thank the LTFRB Region 6 for this partnership, and we hope that we are able to contribute to the success of this modernization campaign for the betterment of the country’s transport industry. All of our townships, especially those in urban centers, serve as convergence points of motorists and commuters. Thus, we integrate transport hubs in our developments to meet the transport needs of the local community,” explains Batac.

Megaworld’s Iloilo Business Park in Mandurriao District, Iloilo City is a 72-hectare integrated urban township that is home to rows of residential towers, state-of-the-art office towers, the Festive Walk Mall, the 1.1-kilometer Festive Walk Parade, two first-class hotels (Richmonde Hotel Iloilo and Courtyard by Marriott, the Iloilo Convention Center, the Iloilo Museum of Contemporary Art (ILOMOCA), and the rising Commercial and Boutique Hotel District.

Regulatory Reform Program

Meanwhile, the DOTr highlighted that the PUVMP is not merely a vehicle modernization program. It is a regulatory reform program that sets new guidelines for the issuance of a franchise for road-based public transport services.

The program sets high standards on the PUVs. They are environment-friendly (Euro 4 compliant). They also consider the comfort and safety of the passengers, including persons with disabilities and the elderly.

The vehicles are also managed as a fleet which can be beneficial to the drivers. For example, in the traditional system, drivers have to rent the operator's vehicle and struggle to meet the payment at the end of the day. Under the PUVMP, drivers will receive monthly salaries and take part in training programs that are provided by the government./

Jose Arnulfo Batac, head of estate management of Megaworld and Richard Osmena, regional director of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board 6

Megaworld, LTFRB, and transport executives and the Iloilo media try out one of the P2P buses at the Iloilo Business Park

Modernized jeepneys