PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, November 5, expressed satisfaction with his administration's efforts to build the country's first "landport," an intermodal transport terminal in Metro Manila that is meant to ease traffic congestion in the capital.
The Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX), dubbed as the first "landport" in the country, features facilities that are similar to those of an aiport like separate arrival and departure areas; public information systems; automated ticketing and bus monitoring systems; baggage handling facilities; spacious waiting areas; and quality restrooms.
During its inauguration on Monday, Duterte said he was "impressed" by and felt "proud" of the "beautiful" integrated and multi-modal terminal in southwestern part of Metro Manila.
"I am impressed, I am proud na ginawa nila itong magandang (that they built this beautiful) structure. And it will serve the Filipino[s], and that's very important to me," the President said in a speech in Parañaque City, as he inaugurated the PTIX.
"I congratulate the Department of Transportation (DOTr) [and] our private partner, MWM Terminals Incorporated., for the inauguration of the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange or the PITX," he added.
With a maximum daily capacity of 100,000 passengers, PTIX has departure-arrival base for buses, jeepneys, and taxis.
The transport terminal would serve as a transfer point between the provincial buses from Cavite, western Batangas, and other in-city modes of transportation.
Duterte said the state-of-the-art project would be a landport that "feels and functions like an airport."
He also guaranteed that the PITX would offer commuters a "safer and convenient terminal experience that will hopefully contribute in addressing traffic congestion in Metro Manila."
"It's one of the three inter-model terminals to be developed by the government in cooperation with the private sector," Duterte said.
"It will help ease traffic by limiting provincial buses plying Metro Manila roads, specifically along Roxas Boulevard and the Edsa Taft Area," he added.
Duterte directed the DOTr and the MWM Terminals to implement necessary measures to ensure that all transport vehicles would be using the PITX.
He said the government was exhausting all efforts to come up with infrastructure projects that would provide a "comfortable life" to all Filipinos. (SunStar Philippines)