DOTr looking to reinstate pre-pandemic city bus routes in NCR

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is looking to reactivate the routes for city buses in Metro Manila in time for the reopening of schools on August 22.

Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) chairman Cheloy Garafil said the agency recommended the return of pre-pandemic city bus routes which were “mostly pumupunta sa university belt at ibang eskwelahan (going to the university belt and other schools).”

Garafil said the city bus routes, particularly those not traversing EDSA, comprised about 30% the total pre-pandemic routes.

Transportation Undersecretary for Road and Transport Infrastructure Mark Steven Pastor said that the available public transportation was sufficient “provided that operators deploy 90% of their PUV (Public Utility Vehicle) units.”

Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista convened various concerned government agencies to thresh out issues and problems faced by the transport sector, and offer solutions to provide “accessible, affordable, comfortable, and safe travel experience” to students in preparation for the transition to face-to-face classes in August.

The inter-agency meeting was attended by officials of the DOTr, Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education, Land Transportation Office (LTO), LTFRB, Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA),

Light Rail Manila Corp., Philippine National Police - National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO), Metro Rail Transit 3, Philippine National Railways (PNR), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA), and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

“Napagusapan namin ni VP Sara (I and Vice President Sara Duterte discussed) after the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday that there is indeed a need for different agencies to meet and discuss problems and possible solutions, which we will encounter when face-to-face classes start in August,” Bautista said.

“Kailangan magtulung-tulong tayo para mabigyan natin ng accessible, affordable, comfortable, and safe travel experience ang mananakay lalung-lao na ang mga estudyante,” he added.

(We need to work together in order to provide an accessible, affordable, comfortable, and safe travel experience for passengers, especially students.)

Apart from the reinstate of city bus routes, the DOTr Road Sector sector, recommended the following:

• Improve deployment of public utility vehicle (PUV) units through formulation and mandating compliance to Service Plans (peak hour deployment at 90% to 100% of PUVs authorized)
• Opening of additional routes as may be deemed necessary
• Fast-tracking of fare review and evaluation of non-operational routes, and introduce developmental routes
• Offering of free rides for students on LRT2 and EDSA Busway
• And extension for another two years the life span of school services that have reached 15-year maximum limit by December 2022

The MMDA, for its part, will deploy 2,238 personnel along major roads and within high-density schools in Metro Manila with 581 traffic enforcers to be dispatched to 148 schools in the National Capital Region (NCR) for the resumption of classes.

A total of four MMDA buses and two (military trucks are also deployed for free rides to assist the commuting public daily.

On the other hand, the Pasig River Service operated by the MMDA will also offer free rides for commuters from Mondays through Saturdays within its 13 stations. —NB, GMA News