Republic of the Philippines RECEINWED
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE: 03 AUG 2016
Quezon City DATE:
aune:_6:07- Py
SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS

First Regular Session 8V_adle __

HOUSE BILL NO._2473 ISTRATION UNIT
AND df SERVICE

Introduced by Rep. Winston “Winnie” Castelo

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Tangent with the efforts of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority to address
congestion along the 24-kilometer highway commonly known as EDSA (Epifanio de los
Santos Avenue), there is a need, by legislative fiat, to direct as well as operationalize the
eventual integration or centralization of bus terminals.

Under this plan, EDSA as well as major arteries cutting through Metro Manila will be
congested. If the central terminal will be operationalized, more than 900 buses will be
removed from the major thoroughfares. Provincial buses, whether southbound or southwest,
as the case may be, will be out of sight along EDSA or major roads.

Truly, congestion problem appears to have already gone out of hand. Note that some 3,600
city buses pass everyday out of the 300,000 vehicles that use the highway not to mention
millions of commuters. To date, there are 85 provincial bus terminals within Metro Manila,
45 of these are located along EDSA. The relief of 45 bus terminals translate to around 7,000
plus buses effectively taken out of EDSA — across points, across time.

‘Adding insult to injury, there are bus companies found operating colorum and out-of-line
buses and despite aggressive campaign, this add-on congestion is on the rise. More than
15 colorum buses have been impounded for 6 months as a penalty. However, as the
government impounds violator buses, the more space might be needed. Still however, with
less buses at EDSA, congestion is relatively mitigated by simple subtraction.

Certain solutions are designed to mitigate the congestion problem from even worsening. For
example, MMDA is about to implement the plan of setting up ‘reversible’ or ‘zipper’ lanes on
EDSA taking its lesson from the success of the counterflow scheme at the Rockwell fiyover.
‘One more recent scheme is the proposed expanded number-coding as an effort to reduce
volume of vehicles plying along EDSA and other major roads.

On the strength of Administrative Order 40 signed July 16, 2013, the President directed the
immediate set up of three interim terminals which this bill seeks to affirm by legislation.
These interim transport terminals (ITTs) will be located in Trinoma Mall in Quezon City for
buses and AUVs in northern Metro Manila; Filinvest area in Alabang, Muntinlupa for
southern; and Uniwide Reclamation Area in Parafiaque for southwest.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:


The bus-carrying capacity of EDSA is pegged at only 1,600 units daily. A Japanese study
shows that such traffic congestion in Metro Manila results in potential losses of P2 4 billion a
day.

This bill therefore seeks to cushion off the impact of above-cited géncerns and its immediate\
passage will usher in a better urban landscape in the imyhediate future, hence this
‘submission.


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO.2473

Introduced by Rep. Winston “Winnie” Castelo

AN ACT
DESIGNATING THREE INTEGRATED AND CENTRALIZED BUS TERMINALS OR
TRANSPORT HUBS FOR ALL CITY AND PROVINCIAL BUSES IN METRO MANILA
THROUGH INTER-AGENCY APPROACH, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND
FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Republic of the Philippines
in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. This Act shall be known as the “Integrated and Centralized Bus
Terminal Act of 2016."

SEC. 2. There shall be designated three Integrated and Centralized Bus Terminals
through inter-agency collaboration of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, the
Department of Transportation and Communication and the Department of Public Works and
Highways.

SEC. 3. The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority in administrative and
operational collaboration with the Department of Transportation and Communication and the
Department of Public Works and Highways shall be the implementing agencies for this
project and shall issue appropriate guidelines, rules and regulations to carry out the
provisions of this Act

SEC. 4. This Act shall take effect thirty (30) days after its publication in the Official
Gazette and in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation

Approved,