More commuters will be able to ride public utility vehicles (PUVs) beginning Sunday as the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) is set to open additional 30 routes for traditional jeepneys and 22 for UV Express units in the Metro Manila Area.
In a statement on Thursday, the LTFRB said the routes to be launched will service a total of 2,768 PUVs --- 1,064 UV Express and units and 1,704 traditional jeepneys --- based on its Memorandum Circular (MC) 2020-062 and MC 2020-063, respectively.
Under MC 2020-062, the following UV Express routes were added by the agency to ferry more commuters starting October 25:
1. BF Paranaque – Ayala Center
2. Brgy. Fortune (Marikina City) – Cubao, Quezon City
3. Deparo – SM North EDSA/C.I.T
4. Deparo – Blumentritt
5. Lagro – Quiapo via Sauyo
6. Lagro – SM North EDSA
7. Lagro – T.M. Kalaw
8. Lower Bicutan – SM Makati
9. Malabon – Ayala
10. Novaliches – Cubao Farmers’ Market
11. Novaliches – Monumento
12. Pasig San Joaquin – Robinson’s Galleria
13. Southmall – Lawton
14. Bahayang Pag-asa – Park and Ride, Lawton
15. Camella Holmes, Springville – Ayala Avenue
16. Camella Homes, Springville – Metropolis Mall, Alabang
17. Imus, Cavite – Ayala Avenue
18. Queen’s Row, Cavite – Park and Ride, Lawton
19. Sto. Nino, Meycauayan, Bulacan – Quezon Avenue
20. Tabang – Tutuban
21. Tanay, Rizal – EDSA Shaw Boulevard
22. Malolos, Bulacan – Quezon Avenue
Meanwhile, the traditional public utility jeepney (PUJ) routes to be opened based on MC 2020-063 include the following:
1. H. Dela Costa II – SM Fairview via Quirino Highway
2. Munoz Market – Quezon Memorial Circle via Visayas Ave., Congressional Ave.
3. Novaliches – Camarin Extended Bagong Silang, Novaliches
4. Novaliches – Rizal Ave. Via Banal
5. Novaliches – Tala
6. Marikina – Pasig via Dela Paz
7. SM Marikina – Pasig
8. Pasig (TP) – Taguig (TP) via Pateros
9. Pasig Market – Taguig via Bagong Calzada
10. Mambugan – Marikina
11. Gasak – Recto via Heroes Del 96
12. Gasak – Sta. Cruz via Heroes Del 96
13. L. Guinto – Makati via San Andres
14. Makati PUJ Loop (Start from PRC Terminal)
15. Malinta – Recto via F. Huertas, Oroquieta
16. Malinta – Sta. Cruz via F. Huertas, Oroquieta
17. Munoz – Pantranco via Roosevelt Ave.
18. Munoz – Remedios via Sta. Cruz, L. Guinto
19. P. Faura – San Andres via M. Adriano
20. Pier South – Project 2&3 via E. Rodriguez
21. Pier South – Project 2&3 via Timog Ave.
22. Pier South – Project 4 via Espana
23. Project 2&3 – T.M. Kalaw via Timog Ave.
24. Punta – Quiapo (Barbosa) via Sta. Mesa
25. Quezon Ave. – LRT 5th Ave., Caloocan City
26. Recto – Retiro via F. Huertas, Oroquieta
27. Recto – Roxas District via Quezon Ave., Espana Ave.
28. Divisoria – Gasak via H. Lopez
29. Queens Row Village – Talon via M. Alvarez
30. Molino, SM Bacoor - Alabang
This latest move increases to 322 the total number of traditional PUJ routes approved by the LTFRB, covering 28,720 units since the enforcement of a general community quarantine in the capital region on June 1. While UV Express routes are now up to 98 with 4,327 units.
Based on the data from the LTFRB, the Board has so far approved more than 84,000 units of various PUVs since the implementation of the GCQ.
This includes the 845 modern PUJs to ply 48 routes; 4,164 public utility buses in 34 routes; 305 provincial buses in 14 routes; 387 point-to-point buses in 34 routes.
The transport regulatory body also approved a total of 20,927 taxi and 24,356 Transport Network Vehicles Services (TNVS) units to ferry passengers in the capital region.
With the recently-eased physical distancing policy inside PUVs, passengers, as well as drivers and operators were reminded to strictly observe safety protocols such as monitoring of body temperature, mandatory wearing face masks and face shields, and compliance in the one-seat apart rule.
The LTFRB said that it is continuously assessing more routes to be opened to accommodate more passengers as many workers continued to go back on the road as the economy reopens under a more relaxed community quarantine.