DOTr, LTFRB to open 20 new PITX routes

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) announced on Thursday that it would open 20 new routes for public transport vehicles in the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX), in response to the riding public's needs.

In an emailed statement, the DOTr said the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) signed Memorandum Circular (MC) 2019-005, which ordered the creation of the new routes buses,UV Express vans, and jeepneys.

The following routes are set to be made available:

Public Utility Buses
• PITX – Ternate
• PITX – Alfonso/Mendez
• PITX – Palapala, Dasmariñas
• PITX – Silang, Cavite
• PITX – Tagaytay City
• PITX – Cavite City
• PITX – Indang
• PITX – Manggahan, General Trias
• PITX – Lancaster New City
• PITX – Nasugbu via Ternate

UV Express Vans

• PITX – Alabang
• PITX – Tanza

Public Utility Jeepneys

• PITX – Bayan Luma, Imus
• PITX – Alabang
• PITX – Tanza
• PITX – Bicutan via East Service Road
• PITX – Bicutan via West Service Road
• PITX – Sucat via Sucat Avenue
• PITX – Blumentritt
• PITX – Bacoor

"Bunga ang MC 2019-005 ng masusing pag-aaral ng mga ahensyang pangtransportasyon ng gobyerno upang matugunan ang mga pangangailangan ng mga commuter na gumagamit ng PITX," the DOTr said.

Franchise for the said routes will be awarded to operators with public utility vehicles that are compliant to the PUV Modernization Program's standards, the DOTr added.

Each route will be awarded to only one operator which shall be able to provide a minimum of 25 percent of the required vehicle units within three months from the release of the Notice of Selection.

Meanwhile, to ensure that the commuters will have enough vehicles to ride in the first few days of implementation, a provision for interim service was also included in the memorandum circular.

Operators that will be accepted to handle the new routes may use leased or chartered units from other operators, manufacturers, and dealers as long as these are compliant to the standards set by DOTr.

PITX, the first integrated and multi-modal terminal in the southwestern part of Metro Manila, was inaugurated by President Rodrigo Duterte in November 2018.

Before being rebranded by the Duterte administration to the PITX, it was previously called the Southwest Terminal of the Integrated Transport System (ITS) under the administration of former President Benigno Simeon Aquino III.

The P2.5-billion public-private partnership (PPP) project was awarded by the then Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) to MWM Terminals, a consortium of Megawide Construction Corp., and WM Property Management Inc. in January 2015. —LDF, GMA News