Las Piñas mulls own bus ban

They are not even neighbors, yet Las Piñas City is feeling the brunt of Manila’s recently implemented ordinance regulating the entry of buses.

Las Piñas officials noted that traffic on the Alabang-Zapote Road had gotten worse because buses from Alabang that used to go up to Lawton in Manila could now operate only up to Quirino Avenue.

“The [bus] routes have become shorter, so they return faster. There used to be ‘spacing’ before, that’s why it was manageable. But now they’re all on the same road at the same time,” said Mark Santos, chief of staff of Las Piñas Mayor Vergel Aguilar.

In earlier media interviews, Aguilar noted that buses that used to make two trips could now make up to five daily.

According to data from City Hall, around 230 buses have franchises to ply the Alabang-Lawton route, with an average of 50 buses passing through Alabang-Zapote daily.

The Manila ordinance bars colorum or illegal buses and also limits the number of legitimate buses per company that can enter the city. The resulting heavy traffic felt in Las Piñas has prompted its officials to consider imposing a similar measure on Alabang-Zapote.

Santos said they have been discussing the idea with bus operators for years.

Two weeks ago, Aguilar declared the 7.5-kilometer road as a “traffic discipline zone” where traffic laws would be strictly enforced. More than 80 public utility vehicles have since been cited for various violations, 15 of which were colorum buses flagged down on Friday.