“Finally, the bus terminals inside Metro Manila will be outside of it, and this is certainly a victory against the never-ending traffic problems in the metropolis.”
This according to Quezon City Rep. Winnie Castelo, chairman of the House Committee on Metro Manila Development.
Recently, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with North Luzon Express Terminal Inc. to pave the way for the construction of the North Luzon Express Terminal (NLET), an integrated bus terminal facility for Northbound provincial buses located right next to the Philippine Arena inside the Ciudad De Victoria complex in Bocaue, Bulacan.
The NLET is expected to remove close to six thousand provincial buses from Metro Manila’s already congested roads and contribute to government efforts to improve traffic in the nation’s capital. This would mean efficient and seamless travel for close to 100,000 people who travel to and from the North every day.
Based on a study by JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency), the worsening traffic in Metro Manila costs around 3.5 billion pesos a day in lost financial opportunities.
In fact, according to the same study, these losses will climb to 5.4 billion pesos a day by 2035 if nothing is done.
The construction of this world-class integrated bus terminal is definitely a step in the right direction with regards to solving our traffic problems.
“The construction of this world-class integrated bus terminal is definitely a step in the right direction with regards to solving our traffic problems. This is a necessary development that will augment other efforts at providing solutions to the traffic nightmare,” said Castelo.
“We should really encourage the private sector to work alongside government to address issues and concerns confronting our people, especially the businesses and commuters who are most affected by traffic-related woes,” added Castelo.
“Hopefully, the construction of this world-class facility will be finished in no time at all so as to give relief to the public who are suffering from the traffic gridlock,” concluded Castelo.