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MMDA meets with stakeholders on provincial bus ban, will raise concerns with LTFRB, LTO, DOTr


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The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority on Wednesday said it will bring to the concerned government agencies the concerns of stakeholders about the provincial bus ban on EDSA and other matters.

The MMDA met with stakeholders on Tuesday and said it will bring their recommendations to the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, Land Transportation Office, and the Department of Transportation, Assistant Secretary and MMDA spokesperson Celine Pialago said in an interview on GMA News' Unang Balita.

Pialago said the following were the recommendations of the stakeholders:

  1. consider additional travel time
  2. consider additional costs
  3. have readily available transportation for senior citizens and PWDs
  4. designate mid bus stops instead of P2P
  5. give priority to higher capacity vehicles like UV Express rather than TNVS
  6. regulate and organize bus terminals
  7. provide seminars to commuters
  8. include proper driving in K-12 curriculum
  9. limit coding for PUVs
  10. fleet management will only be sustainable if jeepneys are allowed 23 km route and drivers have boundary of P1,500

 

The provincial bus ban on EDSA was set to be implemented in June.

Under the measure, provincial buses coming from the south are expected to end their trips at a terminal in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, and another one in Parañaque, and those coming from the north at a Valenzuela terminal.

However, the Ako Bicol party-list and Albay Representative Joey Salceda earlier asked the Supreme Court to stop the ban. 

Ako Bicol argued the regulation was hastily approved without public consultation and hearing and "without any legal and scientific bases for its implementation." Salceda, on the other hand, said that by issuing the regulation, MMDA overstepped its legal authority and violated the franchises of the affected provincial public utility buses (PUB) and the lease agreements between bus operators and terminal owners.

However, Pialago said the franchise agreements with PUBs do not allow the loading and unloading on EDSA.

"Kung susundin natin 'yung talagang prangkisa ng mga provincial buses, bawal ho magbaba sa kahabaan ng EDSA. It should be terminal to terminal. Matagal na hong batas 'yon," she said.

Pialago said the MMDA believes it would be better for commuters coming from the provinces to get off at terminals then board city buses going to Metro Manila.

"Ang mga pasahero ang tendency ho, hahanap sila, lalakad sila, ng tamang loading and unloading area. Ang mangyayari ho, mas mahirap 'yon sa mga pasahero," she said.

"Kami ho, ang nakikita nating solusyon dito bukod sa pagbawas ng pagbigat ng daloy ng trapiko 'yung pinaka-convenient ho may terminal kayo, may waiting area kayo, in fact may mga push carts pa kayo waiting for city buses going inside of Metro Manila," Pialago said.

"Para sa amin, mas safe at convenient 'yon para sa lahat," she said.

Pialago however said they will wait for the ruling of the Supreme Court regarding the petitions filed against MMDA regarding the provincial bus ban on EDSA.

"We are just waiting for the ruling of the Supreme Court. Ang pagpaplano ho ay tuloy. Ang implementation ho we are just waiting," she added. —KG, GMA News

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