THE HEAVY volume of passengers and public utility vehicles going in and out of Metro Manila during holidays only showed the need for centralized terminals at convergence points.
Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Francis Tolentino said this observation was made by President Benigno Aquino III who went around bus terminals and airports before the Holy Week break to oversee security measures being taken by the police.
In a radio interview, Tolentino said that he and the President both saw the need for the immediate construction of centralized integrated bus terminals, particularly in the north and south corridors of Metro Manila, to help ease traffic flow during holidays.
“This is a directive from the President… to have centralized integrated bus terminals which should be convenient to passengers,” the MMDA chief said. “I for one want to have this terminal finished soon because I want this [project] to be completed.”
He explained that having a centralized bus terminal would also make things easy in terms of security since policemen and soldiers would be deployed to a single location instead of the present setup in which terminals are scattered all over Metro Manila.
Land transport regulators would also be able to properly monitor public utility vehicles since it would be easier to check their papers and see if they stick to their assigned routes, he added.
“We could also further curb the proliferation of ‘colorum’ vehicles because [their drivers] wouldn’t dare set foot in the bus terminal lest they be flagged down,” Tolentino said in Filipino.
Every public utility vehicle leaving the terminal could also be weighed to verify if it is overloaded – one of the most common causes of road accidents, particularly involving provincial buses, the official pointed out.
“I propose that weighing scales be also installed there just like what the [Department of Public Works and Highways] is doing to make sure buses are not overloaded and drivers can handle the load,” he said.
The MMDA chairman said the envisioned terminals would be like an airport terminal where passengers wait for rides.
He insisted that feasibility studies had been done and what he expected in the coming days was where and when the terminal would be built and how long would the construction take place.
Government agencies like the MMDA could also put up satellite offices there for their personnel’s easy access, he added.