WITH the rising demand for passenger transport, the Davao City Overland Transport Terminal (Dcott) is planning to expand bus terminals to the city’s north and south areas.
Dcott manager Aisa Usop shared at the Habi at Kapi media conference on October 30, 2024, that they are hopeful the Davao City government will support the construction of two new bus terminals—one in Toril in the south and another in Buhangin in the north.
“Hopefully because gamay lang ang atong terminal and ipit na kaayo atong building considering the area is only 1.7 hectares (Our terminal is congested, and the current 1.7-hectare area is too limited)," Usop said, adding that the city’s Technical Working Group (TWG) is actively working on this project to address ongoing space constraints at the transport terminal.
When asked why expansion is necessary, Usop noted that the main Ecoland terminal, built in the late 1980s, is outdated and was originally designed for a limited number of buses.
"Today, we handle a significantly higher volume, with larger bus units than before," she said.
Usop clarified, however, that under City Ordinance No. 110, only one official bus terminal for provincial routes is permitted in Davao City: “There’s an ordinance stating we only have one provincial bus terminal. We have to be very clear.”
Currently, Dcott is overcrowded, with daily bus trips averaging between 700 and 800 on typical days, rising to 1,000–1,500 during peak times, and serving between 50,000 and 80,000 passengers. These factors prompted Dcott management to push for new terminals in northern and southern areas. DEF
