Republic of the Philippines MEV ELD “eh
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 29 tL ae
Quezon City . ‘PM

‘SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILLNO._1954

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 delos Santos Avenue), there is a need, by legislative feat, 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 decongested. If the central terminal will be operationalized, more than 900
buses will be removed from the major thoroughfares. Provincial buses, whether
southband or northbound 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-ofline 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
counterfiow scheme at the Rockwell flyover. 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 ({TTs) will be locat
in Trinoma Mall in Quezon City for buses and AUVs in northern Metro Manil
Filinvest area in Alabang, Muntinlupa for southem; and Uniwide Reclamation Area in
Paranaque for southwest. ue





Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
‘Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House BiLLNo._ 1954

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 the 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 2013”.

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 agency 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 three (3) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,