THE Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) signed Tuesday the concession agreement for the South Integrated Transport System (ITS) with the winning concessionaire.
"With the South ITS connecting different modes of transportation and services, we can guarantee the public more efficient and seamless transfers. It will also improve traffic flow and reduce congestion in Metro Manila, as it will serve as a transfer point for provincial buses entering the metropolis," said Transportation and Communications Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya.
The 35-year concession agreement with Arca South Integrated Terminal Inc., which is fully owned by Ayala Land, Inc., was signed following the firm's submission of the lowest annual grantor payment at P277.9 million and the fulfilment of all post-award requirements.
Construction is set to commence in September 2016. As a Private-Public Partnership (PPP) project, private sector efficiency can be expected once the hub is fully operational, Abaya said.
The South ITS is one of the intermodal facilities that will be the end-point for over 2,000 provincial buses currently entering Metro Manila daily, effectively decongesting main thoroughfares. Moreover, it will allow convenient in-city public transport transfers, as railway lines, city buses, taxis, and other public utility vehicles servicing inner Metro Manila will be made available.
The terminal will be situated in a 5.7-hectare plot of land in the FTI Compound along South Luzon Expressway (SLEX), and will be connected to the North-South Railway Project. (SDR/Sunnex)