Two days prior to the opening of classes in public schools in the elementary and high school levels, LTFRB 7 Director Eduardo Montealto Jr. told SunStar Cebu on Saturday, Aug. 20, 2022 that a surge in passenger demand is expected.
“That’s the challenge actually. Through our table planning, we have enough (transportation); but we will adjust upon the actual start of the expected increase of ridership,” said Montealto.
He said the LTFRB 7 still has to identify where the huge number of students will likely originate apart from schools.
He said one of their adjustments would be to add more public utility vehicles (PUVs) during peak hours as well as rationalize the routes in areas identified as having considerable ridership.
“We will extend the length of existing routes so that instead of two rides, it will be one ride only,” Montealto said in a mix of Cebuano and English.
As of Aug. 20, only around 850 traditional public utility jeepneys (TPUJs) remained operational in Cebu City, while 650 units were operating in the two other highly-urbanized cities of Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu and the cities of Danao and Talisay.
There are also around 1,120 modernized jeepneys (MPUJs) plying Metro Cebu, said Montealto.
The regional director said 20 of the modernized jeepneys were launched on Saturday in the northern town of Liloan.
He said 15 of these will be plying the Liloan Public Market to IT Park via Ayala Center Cebu route, while the other five will be deployed to cover the Liloan Public Market to Cebu City via Cansaga Bridge route.
Apart from that, Montealto said there will be 250 private and school-operated shuttle services—a mix of buses and vans that were given special permits to operate.
According to Montealto, beginning Monday, 30 percent of the riding public will be composed of students, but only 10 percent of that number will use public transportation since majority have private vehicles, or use school shuttle services, or are living near their schools.
However, with the expected influx of commuters, particularly amid the easing of restrictions, Montealto said public transport may still be a challenge.
Full seating capacity in public transportation is now allowed in Central Visayas but the regional director reiterated that commuters are still not allowed to stand inside PUVs.