Twelve public buses will be deployed in highly-dense area in the city to accommodate large volume of commuters.
City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO) chief Dionisio Abude said they are ready for the deployment of the buses but they are still waiting for the approval of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) XI.
Initially, the buses will cater to passengers in Toril and Catalunan Grande areas, from 6:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Toril and Catalunan Grande are identified in a CTTMO-conducted survey to have the highest volume of passengers during peak hours.
According to Abude, they have identified seven bus stops for the Toril-Roxas route but they are yet to specify the exact area.
Abude allayed fear that the buses will be competing against the passenger jeepneys.
Unlike the jeepneys that can pick up passengers along the road, buses will only load and unload passenger at the bus stops.
The fare will be similar to the jeepney fare.
Abude said the city government already filed a request before the LTFRB for the release of the special permits for the buses.
If the Toril and Catalunan Pequeno routes would be a success, the CTTMO chief said they are also planning to deploy buses to Panacan and Calinan areas.
The local government has eyed a high-priority bus system for the city before this year ends.
