The petition demands a thorough review of MMDA Regulation No. 19-002 which revokes the permits to all provincial public utility bus (PUB) terminals and operators along EDSA.
By JOHN AARON MARK MACARAEG
Bulatlat.com
MANILA — In the wake of the Metro Manila Development Authority’s (MMDA) rush to ban provincial buses along Edsa, the Makabayan bloc filed a petition on June 7, Friday, against it before the Supreme Court.
Composed of Bayan Muna party-list Chairperson Neri Colmenares, Bayan Muna Partylist Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate, Anakpawis Partylist Rep. Ariel Casilao, Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Emerenciana De Jesus, Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Arlene Brosas, ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. Antonio Tinio, ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. Francisca Castro, Kabataan Partylist Rep. Sarah Jane Elago, and Cleto Villacorta III, the group ask for a preliminary injunction or a temporary restraining order from the high court.
The petition demands a thorough review of MMDA Regulation No. 19-002 which revokes the permits to all provincial public utility bus (PUB) terminals and operators along EDSA.
Terrible consequences
“Closing bus terminals along Edsa and forcing passengers, including senior citizens and persons with disability, to alight in faraway Sta. Rosa, Laguna, and Valenzuela City will cause terrible consequences, as to cost, convenience, and even safety,” the petitioners said.
Arvin Tumaliuan, a Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) student who lives in Bulacan but studies in the City of Manila, said that he travels to Bulacan every weekend
by riding a bus in Cubao from his dorm in Sta. Mesa.
He then returns to Manila Monday morning.
If the provincial bus ban pushes through, he said that he would have to be dropped off at the Valenzuela Terminal first to get to PUP.
Contradicting the gov’t’s own transport policy
“What is disturbing with MMDA’s insistence to rush the implementation of this new scheme is that the scheme is not even in consonance with the very National Transportation Policy issued by the government,” the petition said. They stressed that the National Transport Policy states that public transportation in urban areas shall be given priority over private motor vehicles in the use of road space and all legal easements.
According to the MMDA data, public utility jeeps and buses’ road share is only 40% compared to the 60% of private cars and utility vans.
The MMDA was supposed to conduct a dry-run after the Holy Week and then implement the ban on June 1 but these did not push through.
Aside from the Makabayan bloc, Ako Bicol party-list and Albay Rep. Joey Salceda also filed petitions to stop the MMDA provincial bus ban on April 29 and May 27, respectively.
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