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LTFRB to open 100+ 'modified' routes ahead of school opening


The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said Thursday it is planning to open over 100 bus, jeepney, and UV Express routes in Metro Manila to augment the public transportation supply in anticipation of the reopening of face-to-face classes this month.

“Yes, more than 100 routes that we will open next week, before the opening of classes on August 22. We will issue the memorandum circular on this new routes or modified routes as you will call it to address the need for more buses ang vehicles for the face-to-face classes,” LTFRB chairman Cheloy Garafil told reporters after the second hearing of the agency on the petition for fare hike on public utility buses.

“The routes are comprised of buses, jeepneys, and UV Express,” she said.

The LTFRB chief said the agency, as per directive of Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista, will open modified routes in areas with many schools such as the University Belt in Manila as more public transportation will be needed to cater to students who will be going back to school after two years.

As an example, Garafil said that the Fairview-Sapang Palay-Quezon Avenue bus route will be extended all the way to the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange, and will be traversing España Boulevard —which is know as a major thoroughfare going in an out of the University Belt.

As for jeepneys and UV Express, she said “all non-EDSA routes will be reopened.”

In July, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) announced it will reactivate the routes for city buses in Metro Manila in time for the reopening of schools on August 22.

Apart from reinstating city bus routes, the DOTr Road Sector recommended the following ahead of the reopening of schools:

  • Improve deployment of public utility vehicle (PUV) units through formulation and mandating compliance to Service Plans (peak hour deployment at 90% to 100% of PUVs authorized)
  • Opening of additional routes as may be deemed necessary
  • Fast-tracking of fare review and evaluation of non-operational routes, and introduce developmental routes
  • Offering of free rides for students on LRT2 and EDSA Busway
  • And extension for another two years the life span of school services that have reached 15-year maximum limit by December 2022

For its part, the MMDA will deploy 2,238 personnel along major roads and within high-density schools in Metro Manila with 581 traffic enforcers to be dispatched to 148 schools in the National Capital Region (NCR) for the resumption of classes. —LBG, GMA News

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