MMDA to begin biometrics-based bus monitoring system Jan. 31

On Thursday, Jan. 31, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority will put in effect a biometric-based bus dispatch and monitoring system to regulate the number of public utility buses along EDSA. The Bus Management and Dispatch System (BMDS), also monitors the drivers of these buses, the MMDA said Wednesday. "Our aim is to instill discipline among PUB drivers and make them aware that we at the MMDA, together with other agencies, are capable of monitoring them, especially their driving behavior," the MMDA website quoted chairman Francis Tolentino as saying. BMDS is the first bus reduction program in the country that utilizes biometrics, in this case finger-scanning, to identify and monitor PUB drivers, the MMDA said. It seeks to ensure the safety of commuters that ride PUBs, Tolentino added. The program will be pilot-tested at the MMDA's bus dispatch terminal at Fairview, Quezon City. At least 12 more satellite stations will be established all over Metro Manila later this year. The MMDA said the BMDS is a "much-improved" system similar to the Organized Bus Route. Under the system, PUBs are dispatched from four MMDA terminals, partnered with the private sector, based on passenger demand and current traffic situation in a given day. But under BMDS, PUB drivers are also required to undergo a finger scan at the dispatch terminals before being allowed to ply their routes. At each BMDS terminal, PUBs will be fielded every 10 minutes during peak hours and 15 minutes during non-peak hours. "The system is expected to cut the excess number of city buses in operation and rid Metro Manila of colorum buses," the MMDA said. Presently, MMDA has four major dispatch terminals: - South Station in Alabang and Coastal Mall in Paranaque in the south; and - Malabon and Robinson's Fairview in the north. Database The MMDA created a PUB drivers' database that contains the personal information of each registered driver, the bus company where he is employed, and even the number of his unsettled traffic violations. At least 3,471 city buses operated by 105 firms have registered in the database, which is also linked with other agencies such as the Land Transportation Office, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, and National Bureau of Investigation. Tolentino said only drivers with fewer than three pending traffic violations will be dispatched from the terminal. He said those with more than three violations should settle their traffic violation tickets first before being allowed to ply their routes. — BM, GMA News