Unique Edsa bus route planned

THE LESS TRAVELED ROAD NOW The Edsa beltway on Sunday afternoon, days before the second extension of the closure in Metro Manila is supposed to be lifted. RICHARD A. REYES

MANILA, Philippines – Transportation officials will allow only “a single dedicated Edsa bus route” out of the 61 existing routes once quarantine rules are relaxed after May 15 as part of efforts to streamline bus operations the president of the House transportation committee said Sunday. .

Only 29 bus routes of the 96 existing in Metro Manila will receive special franchises when the capital goes from confinement to the general quarantine of the community, said the representative of Samar, Edgar Mary Sarmiento.

All new routes will be “dedicated and non-overlapping,” based on the decision of the Ground Transportation Franchise and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) that was relayed to the Sarmiento committee during an online hearing last week.

Faster change

LTFRB President Martin Delgra told the committee that the board decided to take the opportunity to streamline all ground transportation systems and shorten routes to allow for faster changeover of buses and other public service vehicles.

Delgra said that the streamlined routes would replace the old ones not only during the quarantine period but also beyond as part of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) effort to reform the outdated Metro Manila public transportation system.

“The public transport system, and I am referring to the public land transport system, urgently needs reform, including [before the pandemic]”He told the committee.

“Part of that is having to improve the efficiency of our public transportation system. What has happened in the last 30 or 40 years, the bus franchise model is no longer relevant today and we have been saying that even at the beginning of this administration, “he added.

Under the plan, one of 29 streamlined routes will span the entire Edsa Belt Highway, a 23.8-kilometer stretch from Monument in Caloocan City in the north to Baclaran near the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City in the South.

Only buses running the Monument-Baclaran route could use the Edsa single route.

All other destinations accessible through Edsa would be served by buses that would travel separate dedicated routes. This means that travelers will not be able to take a bus in Edsa to go directly to places like Alabang in the city of Muntinlupa. They will have to change buses to get to Alabang.

Bus operators on private routes will be absorbed by fleets for the new routes, according to the plan.

Sarmiento called the hearing to determine the government’s readiness to provide safe transportation that meets the social distancing requirement established by the government’s coronavirus response workforce.

He expressed his support for the LTFRB measure, noting that the plan was identical to his proposal for a “centralized and synchronized bus dispatch system” in Metro Manila.

“For me, it really is the right time to reform the land [transport] sector. I will support you, but I hope you plan it well and execute it well, “said Sarmiento.

“The most important thing here is that the public has the transportation system they need [quarantine]”He added.

Dry run

Sarmiento asked DOTr to carry out a dry run of the new system at least two days before May 15.

Bus operators could not be reached for comment Sunday.

Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon have been blocked since mid-March due to the new coronavirus pandemic. The restrictions include a ban on public transportation as part of movement restrictions to prevent the spread of the coronavirus causing the serious respiratory disease COVID-19.

DOTr officials said they were ready to lift the ban on public transportation in Metro Manila once the blockade was lifted, except for jeepneys and motorcycle taxis.

Jeepneys, however, may be allowed in some areas that cannot be served by buses and tricycles, according to officials.

The new plan could further reduce the profitability of the bus operation. Bus operators already face reduced revenues with the government-imposed capacity cut to impose social distancing on board vehicles to suppress the spread of the coronavirus.

Capacity reduction will also be imposed on jeepneys and other utility vehicles during quarantine.

However, the LTFRB is not approving the rate increases to compensate for the reduced capacity. But DOTr is working on a stimulus package to mitigate revenue loss in the public transportation sector.

– WITH A REPORT FROM THE DEXTER HORSE

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