UPGRADING the current Davao City Overland Transport Terminal (DCOTT) is being "hold in abeyance" as timeframe plan for its expansion is still undetermined.
DCOTT head Aisa Usop said on Monday, January 6, that the current terminal, located on Candelaria Street, is beginning to experience congestion.
Usop said the DCOTT terminal, with a land size of 1.7 hectares, caters to an approximate 30,000 to 35,000 passengers a day, deploying 600 to 700 buses per day.
However, during peak seasons like Holy Week, All Saint's and All Soul's Days, and Christmas, passengers could reach up to 50,000, with more than 1,000 buses deployed at DCOTT.
"Honestly, nagkadugay, nagkadaghan ang mga pasahero nga gadagsa sa atoang terminal kada tuig (Honestly, the passenger influx increases every year)," Usop said in a phone interview.
The terminal official previously said there is a need to expand DCOTT's current space as its current location could barely handle the increase of passengers.
But she said the plan was shelved as a move to relocate the terminal to a bigger land size is currently being studied by the Office of the City Planning and Development Coordinator (OCPDC) and the City Engineer's Office (CEO).
"Wala pa'y update sa when and where ma-relocate ang terminal (As of now, we don't have update as to when and where the terminal will be relocated)," Usop said, adding bus and van operations will be merged into one terminal.
She also said the proposed creation of a separate terminal for the north and south bound routes is also being considered to help address the terminal's congested situation.
The 18th City Council passed an ordinance for the creation of a north and south bound terminal in 2018.
Usop said the current location of DCOTT causes traffic jam, considering the streets surrounding the terminal are narrow.
Meanwhile, she said the satellite van terminals in malls, which are also managed by DCOTT, have been their alternate solution in catering to passengers.
Additional van terminals are also being considered to be created in Toril and Buhangin to cater to more passengers in these districts. (With reports from Roberto A. Gumba Jr.)