NEDA Board approves P18.66-B modern bus system for Davao City

The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board has given the P18.66-billion Davao Public Transport Modernization Project (DPTMP) the thumbs up, which aims to modernize the bus system in the Southern Philippine city and the President’s hometown.

The DPTMP is a project of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and is targeted to be implemented from 2020 to 2023.

It was approved by the NEDA Board, chaired by President Rodrigo Duterte, on November 29, 2019.

“The DPTMP aims to provide an efficient and affordable mode of transport for Davaoeños through the delivery of a modern High Priority Bus System (HPBS),” the DOTr said in a statement on Thursday.

he P18.66-billion project is planned to be funded through official development assistance (ODA) from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Transportation Assistant Secretary Goddess Libiran told GMA News Online.

The DPTMP comprises a Public Transport System Improvement, Institutional Capacity Strengthening, and Social Development Program (SDP).

“With the HPBS, interconnected bus services will be prioritized along the 137 kilometers core network, and 489 km of feeder routes,” the DOTr said.

The project received the green light from the Investment Coordination Committee (ICC) on November 6.

“The HPBS or the project’s public transport system improvement component will involve the provision of hierarchical, interconnected bus services along major arterial roads, as well as extensive network of feeder services covering the entire urban area,” the DOTr said.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade noted that the DPTMP will help spur and sustain development within and beyond Davao City.

“This administration, under the leadership of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, is all about growth and development. The DPTMP will give Davaoeños and visitors a very efficient mode of transport as it maximizes service coverage that will accelerate economic growth. Growth and development, after all, should cover not just Luzon, but also Visayas and Mindanao,” Tugade said.

Once operational, the HPBS will have 29 bus routes, divided into four tiers:

• MetroDavao as core services connecting all major commercial centers along the five routes

• DavaoInter along eight routes connecting inner urban areas directly to the Davao Central Business District

• DavaoFeeder along nine routes linking smaller centers and areas of more dispersed populations to the MetroDavao services

• DavaoLocal links the outer rural areas of the city and main transport system or integrated terminals

“Meanwhile, the project’s institutional capacity strengthening component will involve the provision of support in the planning, implementation, regulation, and monitoring of the public transport system operations, including training of personnel from DOTr, Davao City Government, particularly the City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO), Land Transportation Office, and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board,” the DOTr said.

“Likewise, the project’s social development component will involve the provision of support for the transitioning of the current public transport providers and those employed in the sector during the implementation of a modern HPBS in Davao City,” it added. —Ted Cordero/VDS, GMA News