Buses to ply from CSBT to MCIA starting July

CEBU, Philippines —  Public buses will be available to serve the commuters from Cebu South Bus Terminal to the Mactan-Cebu International Airport - Terminal 2 starting next month.

Sugbo Tours buses are already having dry run, according to CSBT Manager Joey Herrera. At present, four buses are utilizing the CSBT to MEPZ 1 route at P40 fare.

There are six stops where the buses can load and unload passengers along the way. These are the Island Mall near the airport, Pacific Mall in Mandaue City, North Bus terminal, Robinsons Galleria, Robinsons Fuente, and the CSBT. The minimum fare in between stops is P25. 

Herrera said that the new route is opened in order to cater to passengers who wish to get to the new terminal at an affordable cost. One of the organizations behind the development, he said, is the Department of Transportation (DOTr).

During the Mactan-Cebu Bridge Management Board (MCBMB) meeting, the traffic czars of Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu City expressed that it was their first time to hear the matter.

Glenn Antigua of the Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue (TEAM) said the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB-7) should have first coordinated with them before approving the new route. He said that the buses pass through a one-way street which is too crowded already.

Lapu-Lapu City Traffic Management System (CTMS) head Mario Napule shared the same sentiment, saying the local government units has a say on the matter since they are the ones managing the traffic.

The focal person for traffic of Cebu Province, Jonathan Tumulak, said that the LGUs are more knowledgeable of the traffic conditions in their locality.

One member of the MCBMB explained that LTFRB only approves the point to point destination and not the exact streets where the buses will pass. He assured that the LGUs can recommend which streets the buses could take.

At present, Antigua said that the city government of Mandaue has yet to receive any communication about the CSBT to airport route from either LTFRB-7 or the operator of Sugbo Tours, which is also the operator of the Ceres Bus Line. --  FPL (FREEMAN)