People observe social distancing inside a passenger bus along Taft Ave in Manila on the first day of the GCQ. —MARIANNE BERMUDEZ
MANILA, Philippines — Additional bus routes have been added to help bring employees and workers to their workplaces, while public transportation remains limited under the less strict general community quarantine (GCQ), the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said Thursday.
The LTFRB said it will open three bus routes: From Monumento to Balagtas, from Bulacan-EDSA to Montalban in Rizal, and the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Loop starting June 5, Friday.
Meanwhile, the LTFRB also announced that the following city bus routes will be opened on Monday, June 8:
Monumento – Valenzuela Gateway Complex
Gilmore – Taytay
Monumento – San Jose Del Monte
As for the number of city buses, the LTFRB said it will be meeting bus operators to identify the number of buses that will be allowed to resume operations.
“This is part of our gradual and calibrated approach in the resumption of public transport operations in Metro Manila,” read the LTFRB statement.
To recall, the Department of Transportation added two more bus routes: Angat, Bulacan to Quezon Avenue, and Dasmariñas, Cavite to the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange. This is on top of the four bus stops at North Avenue, Quezon Avenue, Ayala Avenue and at Taft Avenue.
On Monday, several commuters were met with difficulty returning to their workplaces due to a lack of public transportation. Jeepneys and buses are still not allowed to resume operations during GCQ.
Meanwhile, the operations of railways, bus augmentation, taxis, transport network vehicle services, point-to-point buses and the use of bicycles were allowed starting June 1.
READ: DOTr bares 2 phases of public transport revival in GCQ areas