Bus owners ask Supreme Court to inspect Southwest Interim Transport Terminal

A group of bus operators on Friday asked the high court to assign someone to inspect the Southwest Interim Transport Terminal (SITT) at the Uniwide Coastal Mall in Parañaque.

 

In a petition, bus operators Angeles Bayot, Miriam Villena, Nila Santos, Angela Legaspi, Orlando Ocampo, Basilia Crutyo and Diosdado Perillo said the SITT should now be inspected after reportedly getting a go signal from the Metro Manila Development Authority.

 

“There being no more contest or objection to the motion for ocular inspection, the Supreme Court may now designate an officer of the court or a Commissioner to conduct the said ocular inspection for at least three days and at different hours of the day,” said the petitioners through their legal counsel Romulo Macalintal.

 

The group said the inspection will help the high tribunal determine if the transport terminal and operations there are at par with international standards.

 

Macalintal said the inspection would "expose the dismal condition of its premises where the riding public, bus drivers, and bus conductors are hazardously exposed to air pollution and heavy traffic because of the continuous running of the diesel engines of many buses waiting for about two hours for their turn to enter the SITT terminal."

 

He said the space occupied by the SITT at the Uniwide Coastal Mall was designed for light vehicles and not big buses.

 

Macalintal also said the creation of the SITT caused the arbitrary amendment of petitioners' Certificates of Public Convenience (CPCs) without notice and hearing, which he said was in violation of Commonwealth Act No. 146 or the Public Service Act.

 

The Public Service Act requires the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTRB) to give franchise holders proper notice and hearing before amending, modifying or revoking any CPC.

 

Macalintal said that while his clients acknowledged the SITT's goal of decongesting traffic along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, the new transport system should not affect buses that do not travel along EDSA in the first place.

 

Macalintal said his clients' bus units originally travelled from Cavite to Manila, but routes had to be cut short at Parañaque, where the SITT is located.

 

In a petition filed in December, the group of transport operators said instead of an integrated system, the LTFRB created an “isolated or interim system.” 

 

“The commuters are exposed to too much pollution brought about by the continuous emission of polluted air from the diesel engines of the hundreds of buses waiting in queue to load their passengers,” it added.

 

The controversial transport policy prevents provincial public utility buses coming from the south from going beyond Parañaque. Buses using the Coastal Road or Manila-Cavite Expressway are barred from entering Metro Manila beyond Parañaque City.

 

These buses are required to end their routes at the Southwest Interim Transport Terminal at the Uniwide Coastal Mall in Baclaran, Parañaque City. Commuters have to transfer to city buses or other public utility vehicles operating within the city.

 

The new integrated transport system was established through Executive Order No. 67, issued by President Benigno Aquino III, which paved the way for the creation of an Integrated Transport System (ITS).

 

Meanwhile, Administrative Order No. 40 created "Interim Transport Terminals" in preparation for the ITS, and was also issued by the President.

 

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) also issued Memorandum Circular No. 2013-004 which amended the route of provincial buses coming from provinces south of Metro Manila. 

 

In December, the Department of Transportation and Communications issued an invitation to bid on a 35-year Build-Operate-Transfer contract for the ITS project-Southwest Terminal. — JDS, GMA News