300 buses to resume operations in NCR by June 1 — Año

MANILA, Philippines — Three hundred buses will resume operations to supplement the decreased transportation capacity of the Metro Rail Transit-3 (MRT-3) and Light Rail Transit (LRT) as the general community quarantine (GCQ) takes effect in Metro Manila on June 1, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said Friday.

“Starting June 1, ang DOTr (Department of Transportation) may papabiyahe na rin na bus —  more or less mga 300 ito—  to supplement the MRT and LRT because of this adjustment sa configuration ng upuan 50 percent na pwedeng sumakay dun (trains) siyempre kukulangin tayo,” he said over ABS-CBN’s TeleRadyo dzMM when asked about resumption of bus operations in Metro Manila.

(Starting June 1, the DOTr will allow more or less 300 buses to supplement MRT and LRT because of this adjustment in configuration of seats, 50 percent are only allowed at the trains and of course this will not be enough.)

In a taped public address on Thursday night, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said LRT and MRT trains will carry 10 to 12 percent of their passenger capacity per trip while the Philippine National Railways’ trains will serve 35 percent of their passenger capacity during the GCQ.

Tugade made the pronouncement after President Rodrigo Duterte approved to downgrade Metro Manila’s status to GCQ.

Año, meanwhile, noted that more buses will be allowed to ply Metro Manila on June 21 after following provisions and guidelines set by the DOTr.

Previously, Metro Manila was placed under modified enhanced community quarantine from May 16 to May 31 which banned all public and mass transportation.

EDV