Image from Froehlich Tours’ Facebook page - LTFRB chief Ginez is considering the expansion of P2P buses to address bus shortage
- He recommends expanding to new P2P routes in nearby provinces outside Metro Manila
- He clarified that railways are still more efficient but will take 2-3 more years before it is fully-operational
Outgoing Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) chief Atty. Winston Ginez said the next chairperson to replace him needs to address the “shortage” of public utility buses (PUB), and the expansion of the premium point-to-point (P2P) buses to provinces outside Metro Manila is a possible solution that the agency is considering to explore.
Ginez told ABS CBN News in an interview: “Actually, our current supply of buses is inadequate. You will see this during peak seasons. The lines are so long during Christmas, New Year. November 1, Holy Week.”
He explained that despite having 8,000 city and provincial PUBs in Metro Manila highways, their study indicates that it is not enough to accommodate the number of commuters in the Metro, and a proper implementation of a dispatching system is in order, most especially during the peak seasons and rush hour.
Ginez clarified that buses can only provide short-term solution to the Metro’s traffic problem and that railway systems are the most efficient means of public transport but it would take at least 2-3 years to fully operate, as per an article published by GMA News.
In lieu of this, he said, the agency is mulling over the expansion of P2P bus services, which was implemented earlier in January to provide safer and more efficient means to commute and attract private car owner to shift to use public transportation.
“It must be expanded from the east coming from Antipolo or municipalities of Rizal and from the north coming from Bulacan and Cavite and Laguna in the south,” Ginez recommended, as a fleet of 50 P2P buses only do roundtrips from Quezon City to Makati, Ortigas to Makati, and Alabang to Makati.
“There are many networks that can be developed to become a point-to-point, because these P2P buses will promote efficiency, time, savings, because it operates on a scheduled, regular basis,” he added.
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