ILOILO CITY — Fifteen modernized jeepneys of the Metro Express Connect Inc. (MCI) started to ply selected routes in the city and province of Iloilo on Tuesday.
In cooperation with the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), MCI rolled out the first batch of the new jeepneys to show support to the modernization program of the government.
Commuters were given free rides during the first day of operation.
Ric Pallesco, General Manager of MCI in his speech, said they are “deeply honored to have given the opportunity to participate in the effort of the government to provide our commuting public with decent, safe, comfortable and affordable means of transportation.”
The 15 units of modernized jeepneys are just the initial batch as they are targeting to deploy 45 units of these jeepneys, he said.
“It is about time that we give our commuting public the service they all deserve,” he said.
First in Western Visayas, the modernized jeepneys are PWD-friendly and equipped with upgraded features like Wi-Fi, closed-circuit television, global positioning system, automated fare collection system, monitors and air-conditioning.
These initial modernized jeepneys are servicing routes from Vista Mall Iloilo to Mohon Terminal via circumferential road 1; Vista Mall to Pavia Terminal via F. Gorriceta Jr. Avenue and Vista Mall to New Ceres Terminal in Jaro district via Circumferential Road 1.
Martin Delgra III, Chairman of LTFRB, said the “high time” has finally come after so many attempts to modernize the public transportation services.
He said they are not only appealing to drivers but to commuters as well to also embrace the modernization program.
“We need this kind of units in order to build a much better service to our Filipino commuters,” he said.
Moreover, Assistant Secretary Mark De Leon of the DOTr said that there will be more economic growth in the city and the province of Iloilo with the modernized jeepneys.
“Public transportation is very unreliable to the point that it affects the economy,” he said.
“That is what we are trying to address,” he added.
He said the modernization program for public utility jeepneys is the biggest non-infrastructure project of the Duterte administration. (Cindy Ferrer/PNA)
