By Alexandria Dennise San Juan
The country’s first ‘landport’ terminal building in Parañaque City is set to open in November and will serve passengers going to and from provinces in the southern part of Metro Manila.
The Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX), tagged as the first “integrated and multi-modal terminal” in the country, will be inaugurated by the Department of Transportation on November 5.
Aside from serving as a transfer point between provincial buses from provinces in the South such as Cavite, Batangas, and in-city modes of transportation, the PITX will also connect different transport modes to provide an efficient travel for passengers.
Once operational, the PITX which was located at Coastal Road is expected to reduce the number of provincial buses plying Metro Manila, specifically along Taft Avenue-Pasay, EDSA.
“This is not just your ordinary terminal, but a landmark transportation hub that is set to uplift the overall terminal experience of our countrymen,” Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said.
According to the DOTr, the world-class terminal features a passenger-friendly systems design, multi-modal connections, and a wide range of commercial services.
The terminal building also includes three levels wherein departure bay for buses, jeepneys, and taxis is situated on the ground floor; arrival bays for buses on the second floor, and private vehicle facilities such as parking spaces, AUV bays, and a connection to the proposed LRT-1 extension project at the third floor.
A total of 59 bays for provincial and city buses, 49 bays for UV express and jeepneys, and 852 car parking slots, are available at the terminal building.
The PITX can accommodate a maximum daily capacity of 100,000 passengers and peak hour passenger volume of 4,380 arrivals and 3,808 departures, the Department said.
While number of trips per day are pegged at 1,060 arrivals and 949 departures.
Aside from transport bays, five floors of office spaces in the terminal building will also be available for lease.
Meanwhile, park-ride facilities and maintenance areas for minor repairs of vehicles are readily available for convenience of the drivers.
The DOTr also assured the public that bus reservations will now be hassle free through PITX’s “state-of-the-art” bus reservation and online booking with seat selection options, and an advance ticketing system with centralized ticketing counters and 50 automated ticketing kiosks.
The PITX will also house modern concourse facilities such as comfortable seating spaces at waiting areas, free Wi-Fi access, drinking water stations, traveler’s workstation areas, charging ports, locker facilities, and telephone booths.
A centralized shopping center is also available inside the terminal, as well as health and wellness amenities such as baby care rooms, breastfeeding stations, clinic, prayer room, pay-in lounge, and clean restrooms.
Trolleys and wheelchairs are also available for senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs).
To ensure security of the terminal, the Department said that all operations and activities inside are monitored through PITX’s 24-hour CCTV monitoring, along with an advanced 24-hour feedback center for all customers.
Prior to the inauguration of the new terminal, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory issued an order last September directing all public utility vehicles such as buses, jeepneys, and UV Express from provinces southwest of Metro Manila to end their trips at the PITX.
“All provincial public utility buses, UV Express service and public utility jitneys originating from provinces southwest of Metro Manila entering via Coastal Road and Manila Cavite Expressway shall end their routes at the Paranaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) in Coastal Road, Parañaque City from the date PITX is fully operational,” the Board said in a Memorandum Circular dated September 13.
President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to lead the inauguration of the PITX which was a flagship project of the administration’s “Build Build Build” Program.
The President will be joined by the Cabinet’s economic and infrastructure cluster heads, as well as other key officials from the government and the private sector.
