MANILA, Philippines – Starting February 14, there will be more buses offering free rides from the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) to parts of Metro Manila, in a bid to make commute to the landport seamless.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has partnered with the Megawide Corporate Foundation Inc and the Junior Chamber International Senate Philippines for the additional buses.
When the agreement was signed on January 26, the DOTr said 6 routes will have free shuttle services:
- PITX to Lawton
- PITX to Baclaran
- PITX to Pasay
- Monumento to EDSA
- Monumento to Baclaran
- Monumento to PITX
Currently, the PITX-Lawton and PITX-Baclaran routes are on dry run with 3 buses operational from Monday to Saturday, from 6 am to 11 am and from 3 pm to 10 pm.
DOTr said it would announce more information about the free rides during its official launch on February 14.
Early February, PITX announced that there would be free bus rides from MOA to PITX, courtesy of buses lent to the Department of Transportation by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority and the Philippine Coast Guard.
PITX opened on November 2018, housing transportation bays for buses, jeepneys, and UV Express shuttles to and from Cavite and other destinations south of Metro Manila, as well as offering commercial spaces and office buildings.
Provincial buses without city operation permits are not permitted to go beyond this terminal. (READ: Here's your Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange guide)
The terminal is still on partial operations, with many commuters complaining about long lines, hour-long waiting time for the next bus or shuttle, and the lack of connecting rides to and from various points in Metro Manila. – Rappler.com
