THE City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO) on Thursday said the Peak Hours Augmentation Service (PHABS) buses have started operating this week.
The PHABS is the city government’s way to ease the plight of the commuting public during peak hours.
CTTMO Head Dionisio Abude, during the I-Speak Media Forum on Thursday, said the PHABS buses operate in Lasang, Toril, Calinan, and Catalunan Grande. He said the buses operate from 6:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., and 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Abude said the CTTMO and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) had a final meeting with bus operators, managers, and representatives on August 12, and they agreed to bring back the PHABS.
The city government earlier rolled out the PHABS, but this was suspended because of the Libreng Sakay offered by the city and the LTFRB.
“Naghatag na og mga routes and fare matrix ang opisina sa LTFRB. Siyempre under sa ilaha dili pwede mudagan ang bus pangpasahero kung walay special permit (The LTFRB has given the routes and fare matrix. Buses are not allowed to operate without special permit from LTFRB),” Abude said.
He added that the LTFRB had given special permits to Golden Valley Busline Corporation for the Lasang-Tionko St. (Central Bank) route; Land Car Inc. for the Toril-Roxas route; and Davao Metro Shuttle for Grand Mall Calinan-San Pedro Cathedral and the Catalunan Grande-Roxas route.
The CTTMO has also recommended a Cabantian-Santa Ana Avenue route, but as of Thursday, August 18, no bus company has applied before the LTFRB.
Nine bus units ply the Calinan route. Five to seven buses take the Catalunan Grade route, four to six bus units for Lasang route, and three buses for the Toril route.
The operation of buses for Calinan and Catalunan started on August 16, while the Lasang buses started on August 17. The Toril buses begin plying the route Thursday, August 18.
Abude said the buses will continue to operate until their special permit expires.
He said they established PHABS to make sure that people will have a ride home, especially during peak hours at night, when utility jeepneys stop plying their routes due to bad weather.
Abude said the CTTMO and the LTFRB are in close coordination for possible adjustments and changes of routes depending on the PHABS implementation. He said they will also discuss PHABS’s operation in the Buhangin and Cabantian routes.
For a long-term solution, Abude said, the CTTMO meets almost daily with concerned offices and agencies for the implementation of the High Priority Bus System. DAVAO CIO