PITX partially reopens tomorrow under ‘new normal’

MANILA, Philippines — The Paranaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) is readying to operate under the “new normal” as it braces for its partial reopening Monday.

The PITX, which is being used by commuters riding buses, UV expresses and jeepneys in the Southern Manila area, suspended operations in March as the whole of Luzon was placed under an enhanced community quarantine in the fight against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Now that Metro Manila is placed under general community quarantine (GCQ,) some modes of transportation are allowed.

In a radio interview aired over dzBB Friday, PITX Corporate Affairs head Jason Salvador said it would be opening its halls to some trips, mainly of the point-to-point (P2P) buses.

“Starting Monday, all trips that would come from Cavite would be stopping here,” Salvador said in Filipino, adding that buses from EDSA would continue the trips of the travelers.

“That is the first route that would be opened,” he said.

Salvador said that the trips that would be opened at the PITX would be from point to point, so contact tracing would be easy.

“Every bus would only be opened to 25 passengers each and there would be a manifesto so contact tracing would be easier,” he said.

Some shuttles had earlier used the PITX as pick-up point.

It was also used as a site for the free rides given to thousands of overseas Filipino workers who were stranded in Metro Manila.

The PITX said its regular operations would still be suspended, since public utility buses and jeepneys are still not allowed.

During GCQ, the re-opening of public transporation would be done in two phases.

Trains, taxis, ride-hailing cars, shuttle services, P2P buses and bicycles were allowed in limited capacities starting last Monday.

From June 22 to 30, public utility buses, modern jeepneys and UV express vans would be allowed.

“We are hoping that in the coming days, other forms of transportation would be returned so the PITX would be able to serve individuals here at the Southern Manila area,” Salvador said.

5-minute interval

The Metro Rail Transit line 3 (MRT-3) has implemented a strict five-minute interval for its bus augmentation program to ferry more passengers faster. 

In a statement, MRT-3 said buses would be dispatched every five minutes, “full or not full, with or without passengers.“

“Passengers availing of MRT-3’s Bus Augmentation Program can expect buses to be deployed on a fixed interval of every five minutes to ferry them from designated loading and unloading stations along the MRT-3 line,“ the transit company’s management said in its statement.

The bus augmentation program has ferried more than 4,000 passengers as of Friday, according to MRT-3. Specifically, they have ferried a total of 4,383 passengers for the 88 buses deployed since the railways started operating again last Monday.

Under the bus augmentation program, the buses would be using median lanes along EDSA to “deliver faster travel times to passengers.” 

The program was enacted to ensure that there would be minimal queues at MRT-3 train stations as there would be limits on the trains‘ capacities and to strictly implement social distancing amid the GCQ in Metro Manila. 

Only 394 persons per train set, from the usual 1,182 persons per train set, were allowed to use the railways.

Southbound loading stations of the buses are at MRT-3 North Ave. station and Quezon Ave. station, and unloading stations are at Ayala Station and Taft Station.

Northbound loading stations are at MRT-3 Taft Station and Ayala Station, and unloading stations are at Ayala Station, Quezon Ave. Station and North Ave. Station.

The loading and unloading stations would be expanded as time goes by, MRT-3 said, pursuant to the Department of Transportation’s “phased and calibrated approach“ in the public transportation network of the metro.