MANILA -- Provincial buses are reminded to pass through the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) to pick up and drop off passengers.
In a statement over the weekend, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) responded to a proposal by Cavite Governor Jesus Crispin Remulla to allow public utility buses (PUBs) to enter Metro Manila directly from PITX to ferry passengers coming from the province.
The department has issued an order, which allowed the franchises of PUBs from the Greater Manila Area to be converted into city operations to ensure the ease of travel of commuters going to Metro Manila.
“While the DOTr aims to decongest traffic in Metro Manila through landports like the PITX, it likewise seeks to strike a balance through its policies in order to temper the effects felt by everyday commuters. The Department recognizes the impact of the said mandatory route termination on the commuters coming from the province, such as additional costs for an extra ride and additional travel time to their daily commute,” the statement reads.
Provincial buses converted into city operations must still pass through the PITX before proceeding to their destinations in Metro Manila.
The franchises of buses bound for Metro Manila from the following areas were converted into city operations:
Bulacan (north) -- Bocaue, Meycauayan, Marilao, Obando, and San Jose del Monte City;
Cavite (southwest) -- Imus, Bacoor, Dasmariñas, General Trias, Silang, Kawit, Noveleta, and Cavite City
Laguna (south) -- San Pedro, Biñan, and Sta. Rosa City
PUBs that are beyond these areas must terminate their routes at the PITX.
Allowing all provincial buses to enter Metro Manila directly would compromise the operations of the terminal, the department noted.
Some operators that opposed the order are still loading and unloading passengers in the areas of Pasay City and Lawton Plaza in Manila, resulting in inadequate buses for PITX during the afternoon and evening rush hours.
“If the suggested drop-off of commuters in the Metro will be implemented, it will be difficult to enforce the DO as the abovementioned provincial buses, which are dropping passengers in Lawton and Pasay will definitely pick up passengers along their way back to the provinces. With this, passengers who have already booked a trip online won’t be assured of having a designated seat or worse, a ride home,” the statement read.
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board has likewise opened franchise applications for UV Express units to ferry passengers from Cavite province to the PITX.
Five buses were also provided by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority and the Philippine Coast Guard to offer free shuttle services to and from the PITX.
Another six shuttle buses are expected to ply the route PITX – Lawton, Pasay and Baclaran to ferry passengers to and from the PITX. This is the result of a Memorandum of Agreement signed by the DOTr with Megawide Corporate Foundation Inc., and the Chamber International Senate Philippines last January for the implementation of free bus rides for the PITX.
A total of 20 new routes for public utility vehicles were also recently opened for the PITX route to serve consumers from the southwest part of Greater Manila Area going to Metro Manila.
“With this, colorum operations, which characterized most of Cavite transportation for years, may already be legitimized, provided that they apply for franchises on the recently opened routes,” the statement read.
The PITX, the first integrated and multi-modal terminal in the southwestern part of Metro Manila, serves as a transfer point between provincial buses of Cavite and Batangas, as well as in-city modes of transportation. It also provides interconnectivity between different transport modes and services that will ensure efficient and seamless travel for commuters. (PNA)
