Amid brewing transport crisis, MMDA deploys eight buses, trucks on Commonwealth
MANILA, Philippines — The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority will deploy free rides along Commonwealth-Litex in Quezon City to address commuter woes due to lack of public utility buses in the area.
In a statement sent to reporters, MMDA Chairman Romando Artes said that the agency would deploy six buses and two military trucks to accommodate stranded passengers every morning, from 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. and ferry the commuters to Welcome Rotonda.
Over the past week, reports from commuters have flooded social media showing droves of commuters stranded along Commonwealth Avenue while waiting for public transportation, which was limited due to the sudden rains.
"We received reports that passengers are waiting for buses along the road itself. We will deploy our Libreng Sakay buses as long as it is needed to help the public on their daily commute," he said.
It is unclear how much the eight vehicles combined will actually alleviate the situation, if at all. In contrast, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board apologized for the situation and announced it opened 103 more routes good for 7,095 more public utility vehicle units along Commonwealth.
As it stands, only two bus routes, namely Route 5 (Angat to Quezon Avenue via Commonwealth) and Route 7 (Quezon Avenue-Montalban) ply Commonwealth Avenue.
In an earlier statement, the LTFRB said that its initial investigation found that operators deployed less than half of the 510 buses plying Route 5 that were allowed to travel earlier this week.
READ: Summer rains highlight transport problems unaddressed during pandemic
While free rides are temporary, Artes said that the MMDA will sit down with concerned agencies and authorities to provide a long-term solution to ease the burden of the passengers.
He did not say when these would be but said the lack of PUBs must be addressed before June in anticipation of the possible resumption of face-to-face classes.
Mercy Sta. Maria, president of the United Mega Manila Bus Consortium, vowed to help the MMDA and committed to augment the deployment of buses.
More buses won't solve transport crisis, advocates say
Transportation and commuter groups have called the scenario a continuation of the public transportation crisis from before the pandemic, which went largely unaddressed during the past two years.
Advocates said that the breakdown of public transportation because of light rains could not be simply solved by augmenting capacity with more routes and units.
RELATED: Familiar transport woes show no lessons learned from last ECQ
Artes in his statement was careful to appeal to commuters to exercise orderliness and discipline so that traffic flow will not be hampered.
"By providing them additional public transportation, we can keep them off the road to lessen impact on traffic and keep them safe, as well."
He did not mention what proposed solutions the MMDA was mulling, but the agency earlier proposed an odd-even number coding scheme to cut down traffic by 50%, where plate numbers ending with odd numbers will be prohibited during rush hour on Monday and Thursday while even numbers are barred on Tuesday and Friday.
"We are looking for a long-term solution and will coordinate with city bus operators and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board and Department of Transportation for a long-term solution to increase the number of public utility buses plying Commonwealth Avenue," he added.
More commuters are expected with relaxed pandemic protocols and more industries requiring on-site work.
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