MMDA to further improve bus hub

MANILA, Philippines - The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will further improve the Southwest Interim Provincial Terminal at the Coastal Mall in Parañaque City, an official said yesterday.

About 20 percent of bus drivers from Cavite went on strike last Aug. 27 to protest the operation of the terminal, leaving many passengers stranded.

MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino said he sat down with some bus operators to discuss their grievances.

“Everyone’s adjusting that’s why we have to sit down and resolve the problems without resorting to mass action, which is a violation of the bus companies’ certificate of public convenience,” Tolentino said.

Among the improvements to be completed at the terminal next week are the covered walkway from Roxas Boulevard/Coastal Road footbridge to the terminal, covered walkway from the terminal to the adjacent city bus terminal, a taxi bay at the terminal exit along MIA Road, and widening of the terminal’s MIA Road exit toward the Coastal Road to serve as exclusive lane for Cavite-bound buses.

The MMDA will also install exhaust fans, drinking fountains and additional loading and unloading bays at the terminal.

Tolentino said they are fast-tracking the construction of Terminal 2 for buses plying Aguinaldo Highway and a separate dispatch system for air-conditioned and ordinary buses.

“For faster turnaround of buses at the terminal, bus drivers will be required to undergo fingerprint scanning only once a day, instead of every trip,” he said.

Tolentino said the fingerprint scanning would address the long queues at the terminal’s dispatch office where bus drivers have to secure a dispatch slip.

“The faster they load passengers and leave the terminal, the more trips they will be making per day which means higher earnings,” he added.

The MMDA chief encouraged transport cooperatives to put up canteens or food stalls at the terminal for free.

“Everybody needs to cooperate to have an orderly and disciplined public transport system for the benefit of the riding public,” Tolentino said.