Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange seen to ease metro traffic woes

MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte yesterday led the inauguration of the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX), as he expressed hope that the project would ease traffic woes in Metro Manila.

Duterte said the project – the first integrated and multi-modal terminal in southwest Metro Manila, is one of the intermodal terminals to be developed by the government in cooperation with the private sector.

Dubbed as the country’s first “landport,” PITX is a flagship project under the transportation department in partnership with MWM Terminals Inc., a subsidiary of engineering and infrastructure conglomerate Megawide.

“This will offer passengers a safer, state-of-the-art and convenient terminal experience that will hopefully contribute to addressing traffic congestion in Metro Manila,” the President said. 

“This will help ease traffic by limiting provincial buses plying Metro Manila roads, specifically along Roxas Boulevard and the EDSA-Taft Avenue area,” he added.

The terminal will also serve as a transfer point between the provincial buses from Cavite, western Batangas and other in-city modes of transportation, according to the Chief Executive.

Duterte asked the Department of Transportation and MWM Terminals to implement the necessary measures to ensure that all vehicles that will use PITX are roadworthy, have proper documents and are compliant with environmental laws.

“With the Build Build Build program in full swing, I assure our people that the government is exerting all efforts to construct the necessary infrastructure that would sustain our country’s continued development,” the President said.

The PITX has a maximum daily capacity of 100,000 passengers and has departure and arrival bays for buses, jeepneys and taxis. It will also implement a bus reservation and online booking system and provide passengers with multiple modes of transport in one easy-to-navigate facility.

“Together, let us work hard to lay down the physical foundations of a more progressive and prosperous nation so that our countrymen will enjoy at the very least not a rich life, not even a bar lower than that, but at least – most of them are poor – but we can assure them of a comfortable, just a comfortable life,” Duterte said. 

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade had assured Duterte that the project is free of corruption, according to the Chief Executive. He revealed that somebody offered to donate campaign funds to him in 2016 but he refused to accept them.

“Tales can be weaved around a certain contract or the winning contractor... I did not accept their offer. I said, ‘It’s OK, maybe, with a shoestring budget, I can make it.’ Just to clarify everything. So, I am impressed, I am proud that they were able to build a good structure. And it will serve the Filipino and that is what’s very important to me,” the President said.

It was not clear, however, if Duterte was referring to MWM Terminals when he was talking about the party that offered to donate money to his campaign.