BY ALEXANDRIA SAN JUAN
A total of 269 units of provincial buses have been allowed by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to resume its operations on a point-to-point (P2P) basis beginning next week.
According to the LTFRB, the additional units will ply 10 point-to-point routes to be opened beginning Monday, December 21, allowing more passengers to travel across regions after months of quarantine lockdowns.
The LTFRB released on Wednesday Memorandum Circular (MC) 2020-082 days after the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for Emerging Infectious Diseases decided to authorize the resumption of operations of provincial buses with point-to-point routes.
Although point-to-point, the Board has designated limited and special stops in several routes, including those with long-haul trips, for more convenient travel for passengers.
Under the latest circular, the following provincial bus routes will be opened by the agency to ferry more commuters:
⦁ Clark, Pampanga – SM North EDSA
⦁ Clark, Pampanga – NAIA Terminal (with limited stop in Ortigas)
⦁ Clark, Pampanga – Lubao, Pampanga (with special stops in San Fernando and Angeles City)
⦁ Clark, Pampanga – Dagupan, Pangasinan (with special stops in Rosales and Urdaneta)
⦁ Clark, Pampanga – Subic, Zambales (with special stop at Dinalupihan, Bataan)
⦁ NAIA/Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) – Baguio City
⦁ Batangas City – Ortigas
⦁ Batangas City – (PITX)
⦁ Lipa City, Batangas – Ortigas
⦁ Lipa City, Batangas – PITX
This brings the total number of authorized provincial bus units to 1,372 plying 41 approved routes across the country since the government allowed provincial buses to return on roads last September 30.
LTFRB Chairman Martin Delgra III earlier mentioned that many local officials were still opposed to the idea of opening their borders for buses to and from the capital region which is currently the epicenter of the pandemic in the country.
However, Delgra assured that the Board is continuously meeting with other local executives to allow their borders opened for provincial buses to transport more passengers and workers as the economy and tourism sectors gradually reopen.
According to the LTFRB, a special permit will be required for units plying inter-regional routes outside Metro Manila which can be applied online through [email protected].
The LTFRB added that only roadworthy provincial buses with a valid and existing Certificate of Public Convenience or Application for Extension of Validity, and a Personal Passenger Insurance Policy will be allowed to operate.
Drivers, operators, and passengers were also reminded to strictly observe minimum health protocols while inside the bus such as the mandatory wearing of face masks and face shields, observing physical distancing, no talking and making phone calls, and no eating.
The LTFRB warned that failure to comply with the guidelines will incur penalties such as imposition of fines or cancellation or suspension of the Certificate of Public Convenience or Provisional Authority of the unit.
Based on the latest data from the LTFRB, the Board has so far approved more than 90,000 units of various PUVs since the enforcement of GCQ which allowed public transport to return on the roads after months of hard lockdown.
These include the 35,153 traditional PUJs, 865 modern PUJs, 4,552 public utility buses, 394 point-to-point buses, and 7,184 UV Express units.
The transport regulatory body also approved a total of 21,663 taxi and 25,495 Transport Network Vehicles Services (TNVS) units to ferry passengers in the capital region.
