Naia bus scheme a flop?

A public utility bus waits for passengers at Naia 3 on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2015. PHOTO BY RICK ALBERTO/INQUIRER.net

Out of the 55 public utility buses (PUBs) that were given special permits to extend their routes and pick up commuters from Terminal 3 and 4 of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia), only about 10 buses had been turning up daily since the scheme started on July 23, officials noted.

David De Castro, spokesman of Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), said it was also observed during the weeklong trial run that only a handful of passengers—sometimes only 10 per bus—had availed themselves of the transport.

“We also noticed that in the afternoon there are hardly any buses coming to Terminal 3. One possible reason is that they are already stuck on Edsa,” De Castro said on Sunday.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) earlier issued special permits to 55 buses owned by Sevensky Express Liner Corp., Magicline Express Corp., Mayamy Transport Corp. and Naia Metro Link Bus. It allowed them to pick up and unload passengers at two stops on Domestic Road and Circulo de Mundo.

The special permit allowed the PUBs coming from Roxas Boulevard, which pass through Naia Road, to proceed through Domestic Road and Andrews Avenue going to Circulo. The buses, however, cannot load or unload along Andrews.

The extended bus routes were meant to address the lack of public transportation options for arrivals and employees at Naia 3 and 4. On the average, the two terminals have about 26,000 arriving passengers, who mostly have no other choice but to take taxi cabs.

For MIAA senior assistant general manager Vicente Guerzon Jr., the test run for the bus scheme “should by no means be considered a flop” at this point.

The low number of passengers taking the buses may be due to the absence of a walkway from the Naia 3 to the bus stop, he said.

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