Construction of centralized bus terminals to start October

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) hopes to start the construction of the centralized bus terminals for provincial buses in October this year.

“If there will be no obstacles, [MMDA] Chairman [Francis] Tolentino targets the construction of the centralized bus terminal in Balintawak in Quezon City in October,” said Tina Velasco, the agency’s spokesperson.

“Meetings with stakeholders and the private sector for possible investments to finance the project are now ongoing to fast track this. It will be a private sector-led initiative but with the help of government, involvement in regulation and consistent alignment of policies,” she added.

She said that while the 11-hectare lot beside North Luzon Expressway near Balintawak is being eyed as the integrated bus terminal for North Luzon-bound buses, a 7.5-hectare property along Roxas Boulevard obliquely fronting Baclaran Church was identified as the site for buses with southern provincial route.

The integrated terminal for provincial buses is envisioned to be a world-class facility comparable to airports around the world with scheduled time for arrivals and departures of buses.

Tolentino said that having the centralized bus terminal would help ease traffic flow particularly at the 24-kilometer long Edsa.

“It will also help in facilitating the safety of the commuters since policemen and security personnel would be deployed in a single location instead of the present set-up where bus terminals are scattered everywhere,” Tolentino added.

The plan also targets the proper monitoring of public utility vehicles (PUV) and pinpoints vehicles and rid the metropolis’ roadways of “colorum” or out-of-line PUVs.

Meanwhile, the MMDA has impounded more than 50 colorum passenger buses in a renewed drive against unregistered PUVs operating along Edsa and other major thoroughfares.

“It is surprising to find out that legitimate bus operators have colorum units within their fleet, and most of them operate provincial routes. It is the riding public that will greatly suffer once these colorums get involved in accidents,” Tolentino said.