Commonwealth Avenue ‘hybrid bus carousel’ eyed

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Tuesday said it is studying to establish a "hybrid bus carousel" along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City. 

“Inutos po natin kahapon sa ating road sector pag-aralan na rin kung puwede naming gawing hybrid carousel dito sa Commonwealth,” DOTr Acting Secretary Giovanni Lopez told GMA Integrated News’ Unang Balita in an interview. 

(Yesterday, we ordered our road sector to study whether we can build a hybrid carousel here in the Commonwealth.)

“At binigyan ko po sila ng dalawang linggo para magbigay ng plano,” he added.

(I gave them two weeks to come up with a plan.)

Currently, a bus carousel is operating on EDSA. This is a dedicated bus lane that serves commuters from Monumento in Caloocan City up to Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) in Parañaque City. Lopez said DOTr is planning a "hybrid" version of this along Commonwealth Avenue.

He said that the DOTr needs to coordinate the plan first with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the city government. 

'Parusa'

The DOTr Acting Secretary took the public transportation along Commonwealth on Monday and said it took him a long time before he was able to ride a bus. 

"Talagang napakahirap po, at talagang nakakapagod. At kung puwede ko pong sabihin, isang parusa po, parang parusa po ang pagco-commute araw-araw. Dito pa lang po yan sa may Commonwealth," Lopez said. 

(It’s truly challenging and exhausting. If I may say, it feels like a punishment—commuting every day is a real struggle. That's just here in the Commonwealth.)

"Kailangan natin gumawa ng drastic measures. Kailangan may sistema, kailangang magdagdag ng pampublikong sasakyan," he added. 

(We need to take drastic measures. We need a system, we need to add public transportation vehicles.)

Lopez has ordered the agency's road and rail officials to take public transportation once a week to better understand the concerns of commuters.

"Naiintindihan naman nila ang ating saloobin at kumpiyansa ako na sila ay susuporta at gagawin po nila."

(They understood, and I am confident that they will support and follow my instructions.)—Joviland Rita/ VAL, GMA Integrated News