Bus trips between provinces and Metro Manila may resume by September

On Wednesday, a transport regulator said that bus trips between the provinces and Metro Manila may resume within the month (September).

Photo credit: businessmirror.com.ph

Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board Chair Martin Delgra said transport authorities are straightening out the final preparations for the resumption of bus routes between the capital region and other parts of the country. However, many local officials still want their borders closed for health reasons.

Inaayos lang po natin (We are finalizing it) and hopefully we will be able to open it within the month,

he said during a virtual press briefing.

Provincial buses are banned from entering Metro Manila and are required to carry only half of their passenger capacity as the entire country remains under varying quarantine levels.

According to Delgra, at least four provinces including Antique, Quirino, and Bataan have agreed to reopen their borders to provincial buses.

However, Delgra said these are only a small percentage of local officials from 81 provinces who were mostly opposed to the idea of opening their borders for buses from Manila which is currently the epicenter of the pandemic.

Marami po sa kanila ang ayaw pa magbukas ng borders lalo na doon sa mga ruta na manggagaling ng Metro Manila,

he said.

[Many of them still don't want to open their borders for travel routes coming from Metro Manila.]

While most parts of the country have eased travel restrictions, Delgra said local government units have to be consulted on inter-regional travel since there are limitations due to the pandemic.

We need to coordinate with the LGUs concerned kasi sila ang sasalo ng mga pasahero and since we are in the context of a pandemic, naghahanda din yung mga LGUs paano nila ihahandle yung pasahero,

he said.

[We need to coordinate with the LGUs concerned because they are the ones who will receive the passengers and since we are in the context of a pandemic, they are also preparing for it.]

Part of the resumption of provincial bus operations was the preparation of integrated bus terminals identified by the Department of Transportation and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to connect Metro Manila and its neighboring provinces.

These terminals, which were already prepared according to the LTFRB, were the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange, North Luzon Expressway Integrated Terminal in Bulacan, Valenzuela Integrated Terminal, and Sta. Rosa Terminal in Laguna.