268 P2P buses now ply 28 routes in Metro Manila, adjacent areas under GCQ

Passengers observe social distancing while waiting to board P2P bus in Makati. (Photo courtesy of DOTr)

CALOOCAN CITY, June 11 (PIA) --Some 268 point-to-point (P2P) buses now ply 28 routes in Metro Manila and adjacent areas to ferry more commuters as the transition into the “new normal” continues.

These buses will not only serve commuters within Metro Manila, but will also transport passengers going to Imus, Bacoor, Dasmariñas and Noveleta (Cavite); Sta. Rosa and Calamba (Laguna); Cainta and Antipolo (Rizal); Malolos, Balagtas, Pandi, Sta. Maria, and Plaridel (Bulacan) and to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and Sangley Airport in Cavite, according to the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).

Passenger undergoes temperature check before boarding the bus. (Photo courtesy of DOTr)

Following are the P2P routes approved by the LTFRB:

1. Las Piñas – Makati

2. Sucat/PITX - Makati

3. Eastwood – Makati

4. Fairview – Makati

5. Alabang – Makati

6. Alabang – Ortigas

7. Alabang- BGC

8. Antipolo-Ortigas CBD

9. Antipolo - Makati CBD

10. Cainta – Makati

11. Imus – Makati

12. Noveleta – Makati

13. Sangley Airport/ Cavite City – NAIA

14. Makati – Bacoor

15. Makati – Dasmarinas

16. Alabang – Bacoor

17. Alabang – Dasmarinas

18. Taguig – Makati

19. Taguig – Ortigas

20. Malolos - North EDSA

21. Sta Maria/ Bocaue - North EDSA

22. Balagtas, Bulacan - North EDSA

23. Pandi, Bulacan - North EDSA

24. Plaridel, Bulacan - North EDSA

25. Sta. Rosa, Laguna - Makati City

26. Calamba, Laguna - Makati

27. Calamba - BGC/ Fort Bonifacio

28. Calamba – Lawton

Passenger steps on shoe sanitizer before boarding the bus. (Photo courtesy of DOTr)

The P2P buses serving the 28 routes have been issued special permits by the LTFRB as part of the control measures being enforced under the GCQ.

According to the LTFRB, these buses abide by the conditions on the issuance of Special Permits at terminals prior to and after operations, and during operations.

“The conditions include the health and safety provisions as outlined by DOTr, aligned with the protocols set by the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) and the Department of Health (DOH) to ensure safety of passengers as well as the bus personnel,” the LTFRB said in a statement.

As part of the preventive measures, the use of face masks and gloves for P2P bus drivers will be mandatory. Also required are the thorough and regular disinfecting of the buses and bus terminals.

Passengers observe physical distancing inside the bus. (Photo courtesy of DOTr)

Passenger load for the P2P buses should also not exceed 50 percent or half of the vehicle’s capacity to observe physical distancing.

The P2P bus units are equipped with GNSS for monitoring of movement, automatic fare collection system (AFCS) for cashless payments, RFID tags, among others.

Last 1 June 2020, Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Cagayan Valley, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon), the Central Visayas, Pangasinan, Zamboanga City, and Davao City were placed under a GCQ. The rest of the country meanwhile shifted to a Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ).

With the enforcement of the GCQ, some quarantine restrictions were relaxed and some modes of public transportation were allowed to resume operations in two phases.

For Phase 1 covering June 1 to 21, the DOTr has allowed the operation but with limited passenger capacity of trains, bus augmentation for trains, taxis, transport network vehicle services (TNVS), shuttle services, P2P buses, and bicycles.

Tricycles are also be allowed to operate during Phase 1 but subject to prior approval of the concerned local government unit (LGU).

From Phase 1 until the period covered by Phase 2 from June 22 to 30, the LTFRB will continue to add and open new bus routes to accommodate the large volume of commuters expected during the transition to the “new normal.” (DOTr/PIA-NCR)

source https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1044476