Buses will be required to use PITX, DOTr exec says

A Department of Transportation (DOTR) official on Wednesday said that buses will soon be required to use the newly opened Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX).

DOTR Undersecretary Mark De Leon said requiring provincial and city buses will help improve PITX, which received mixed reactions from motorists on its first day of operations. 

“Ang number one po talaga diyan is ma-require po natin yung mga mga buses na mag-terminate dito sa PITX. Yun mga provincial bus kailangan dito mag-terminate,” De Leon said in an interview on Dobol B sa News TV.

“At yung mga city buses naman kailangan nilang pumasok at mag-pick up ng pasahero na binababa naman ng provincial bus dito sa PITX,” he added.

De Leon said that they have to remind bus operators to use the PITX while waiting for Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to issue a memorandum circular that will require buses to use the terminal.

“Continuing naming ginagawa na pagre-remind dito sa mga bus operators habang hinihintay natin ang LTFRB naman na mag-issue ng memorandum circular dito sa mga bus operator na i-require,” he said.

De Leon said some problems were encountered in the operations because some bus operators did not follow instructions.

“May mga mangilangilan pa rin po na bus na di sumusunod sa regulasyon kaya hinihintay po talaga natin na mag-release itong LTFRB ng memorandum circular na irinerequire itong mga bus na na tumigil na ng PITX.”

De Leon also said that buses do not have to stay long and wait for passengers at PITX. They could just unload and pick up passengers there.

“Yung bus po niya ay hindi na kailangang huminto, tumigil sa PITX, bagkus dadaan lang sa PITX. Magpi-pick up, maga-unload ng pasahero pero tuloy-tuloy pa rin po yung biyahe, “ he said.

Citing the reports of passengers’ confusion in navigating inside PITX, De Leon said that they made a request to the concessionaire to add more staff in the terminal.

“Sinabihan po namin ang concessionaire na magdagdag pa lalo ng mga information officers and also yung mga information signages. Understandable na first day ng terminal, may malilito pa,” he said. —Joviland Rita/KBK, GMA News