Poe warns vs issuing more PUV franchises to address PITX concerns

MANILA, Philippines —Senator Grace Poe on Friday cautioned transport officials against granting new franchises for identified routes of buses, UV express, and jeepney to address concerns at the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX), saying it may worsen traffic in Metro Manila. 

While she welcomed the move of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and Land Transportation, Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to immediately come up with concrete solution to the chaos at the land port, Poe noted “the problem we are addressing here is not just PITX, but Metro Manila’s traffic and transport situation in general.”

“To a complex problem such as this, nothing beats being thorough and deliberate. Haste makes waste,” Poe said in a statement.

The senator said DOTr and LTFRB’s proposal to grant new franchises for public utility vehicles (PUVs) will add to the already overwhelming vehicle volume in Metro Manila and will potentially worsen traffic congestion.

“Tandaan natin na ang pagbibigay ng karagdagang prangkisa ay nangangahulugang karagdagang sasakyan sa kalsada. Pinakamainam na unang hakbang pa rin ang pag-uusap,” she said.

Poe said transport officials, commuters group and PUV operators should create a technical working group to immediately draft a plan that will address the concerns of the users of PITX.

Poe’s committee on public services recently held a hearing on the operation of the PITX, which was marred with problems over the rationalization of routes and the issuance of franchises.

The new measures being implemented at Metro Manila’s first land port were blamed for the long queues of passengers at the Mall of Asia transport terminal last week. /kga