DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 15 Oct) — A total of 10 units of China-manufactured modern buses arrived in the city from Manila on Tuesday as the mass transportation system here struggles to keep pace with the growing demand for more public utility vehicles (PUVs), particularly during peak hours.
In an interview, Atty. Tristan Dwight Domingo, assistant city administrator and project manager of the Davao Bus Project, told reporters that the 12-meter, low-floor, air-conditioned buses are expected to start plying the city’s streets and offering free rides to commuters by mid-November.
He said that the local government has yet to finalize the list of bus stops and predetermined routes, as the permit application remains pending with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), but it will be completed within two weeks.
Once the city buses commence operation, Domingo emphasized that loading and unloading will be strictly limited to designated bus stops.
He said these buses would be deployed during peak hours from 6-10 a.m. and 5-9 p.m.
According to the city official, each Yutong ZK6126HG bus unit costs ₱10 million sourced from the city government of Davao’s own budget. Each bus unit accommodates 42 seated passengers and 16 standing.
A portion of the Davao City Overland and Transport Terminal will serve as temporary depots for the newly procured buses.
For the operation of the Davao Bus Project, he said 50 workers will be employed, including the 22 bus drivers and other personnel.
In April this year, a contract was entered into between the City Government of Davao and AutoKID Truck Solutions, the winning bidder, to procure the buses, which are equipped with automated passenger count, electronic management system, and global positioning system (GPS) to track the movement of buses.
The local government, he said, purchased the buses a it saw a growing need for better public transportation while awaiting full implementation of the Davao City Public Transport Modernization Project (DCPTMP) or High Priority Bus System by the Department of Transportation.
The DCPTMP is a public mass transportation project that will replace the jeepneys with buses.
He said the local government envisions making buses the primary mode of transportation for Dabawenyos.
“Worldwide, I think it’s proven that the bus transportation system is a very conducive way of moving people. We think it’s high time for the people of Davao to also get what they deserve — having a reliable, convenient, air-conditioned, public transportation,” he said.
But Domingo urged Dabawenyos to “temper your expectation,” noting that the initial rollout of 10 buses will not be enough to fully resolve the commuters’ daily transportation woes, as the city needs “at least a thousand buses to have a very effective and reliable public transport system.”
He said the local government hopes the national government will hasten the implementation of the bus modernization project.
“This will not solve everything, even the traffic or the demand for mass public transportation. This is just an interim solution for Davao while we are waiting for the national government to fully implement the bigger project, which is the Davao Bus Project,” he said, referring to the DCPTMP.
On July 1, 2023, the Philippine government signed a $1-billion (₱54.89-billion) loan agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for the implementation of the DCPTMP.
In a press release, the ADB announced that the loan would “support the procurement of a modern fleet of about 1,100 electric and Euro 5-standard diesel-fueled buses with operations managed by the private sector under performance-based contracts.”
According to ADB, the DCPTMP would service about 800,000 passengers per day.
It said the project would include the “construction of around 1,000 bus stops with bright lighting and shelters, 5 bus depots and 3 bus terminals, and provide bus driving training for the new system.”
Once operational, the DCPTMP will have 29 bus routes divided into the following four tiers: MetroDavao (will form the core services that connect all major commercial centers along five routes), DavaoInter (will run along with eight routes connecting the inner urban areas directly to the Davao Central Business District), DavaoFeeder (will run along nine routes linking smaller centers and areas of more dispersed populations to the MetroDavao services), and DavaoLocal (will provide a link between the outer rural areas of the city and main transport system or the integrated terminals). (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)
