Taguig transport terminal breaks ground

An graphic image shows how the Taguig Integrated Terminal Exchange would look like when completed in 2020. INQUIRER / JOVIC YEE

Close to 4,000 provincial buses are expected to be taken off of Edsa and other major roads once the Taguig Integrated Terminal Exchange (ITX) becomes operational by the first half of 2020.

On Wednesday, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade led officials in the groundbreaking ceremony of the second integrated transport terminal meant to not only improve the public’s commuting experience but also decongest Edsa.

To be built in partnership with Ayala Corp., the Taguig ITX will rise inside the 5.6-hectare FTI compound. It will host the provincial buses going to and coming from South Luzon, Bicol, the Visayas and Mindanao.

A scale model of the Taguig ITX is displayed at the groundbreaking of the terminal at the FTI compound. INQUIRER / JOVIC YEE

The six-story building will have a centralized ticketing area, a number of business and retail establishments, and can accommodate an estimated 160,000 passengers daily.

Construction of the terminal is set to start by the second half of this year. To ensure better connectivity, the terminal will be linked to the Philippine National Railways’ FTI station and the proposed subway system. /cbb