Travelers this Holy Week won’t have to worry about public transportation in the Ilocos Region, as modern jeepney operators assured continued operations.

The Alliance of Modernized Transport Cooperatives and Corporations guaranteed that all modern jeep units in the Ilocos Region will be on the road to meet the surge in passengers during Holy Week.

Region-wide, over 400 modern jeepneys are expected to run throughout the week.

Before the Holy Week rush, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) conducted inspections to ensure that public transport units and their drivers are ready and safe for the road.

“Need po lahat i-check ‘yung mga sasakyan kung kaya ba and even sa katawan dapat po handa din sa pagmamaneho,” LTFRB Region 1 Director Cristal Sibayan said.

In Pangasinan alone, more than 100 modern jeepneys are expected to operate daily.

“Hindi kami nagbabawas ng unit even on holidays like Holy Week. We are being monitored by LTFRB through our GPS system, kasi lahat ng modernized jeepney they have [LTFRB] access to know kung bumiyahe ka o hindi,” Jessie Quiros, president of Dagupan City Bonuan Loop Transport Cooperative, said.

For travelers like Gerry Garcia, having enough vehicles is a big help during this time of year when many people travel back to their provinces or visit religious sites.

“Dapat maraming sasakyan para hindi kami maglakad,” Garcia said.

In Laoag City, Ilocos Norte, bus terminals are already seeing crowds.

According to a dispatcher, passengers started arriving in large numbers the day before, most of them coming from Metro Manila.

Authorities expect more passengers to arrive throughout the week.