More buses will ply Quezon City routes starting December as the local government rolls out its city bus augmentation program to provide the public additional means of transportation and ease its traffic congestion.

The local government on Monday said Mayor Joy Belmonte signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) for the Quezon City Bus Augmentation Program.

Under the program, the LTFRB will issue certificates to allow the operations of eight routes that the City Bus Augmentation Program will cover. They are as follows: Quezon City Hall to Cubao P. Tuazon corner Gen. P. Romulo Ave. (and vice versa); QC Hall to Litex (and vice versa); Welcome Rotonda to Aurora Blvd. cor. Katipunan Ave. (and vice versa); QC Hall to Gen. Luis via SB Road (and vice versa); QC Hall to Mindanao Ave. cor. Quirino Highway (and vice versa); QC Hall to LRT 2 Gilmore (and vice versa); QC Hall to E. Rodriguez Jr. Ave cor. Ortigas Ave. (and vice versa); and QC Hall to LRT 1 Roosevelt and back to QC Hall.

“Dahil limitado pa rin ang mga pampublikong sasakyan sa lungsod, nagpasya tayong gawin ang hakbang na ito upang maibsan ang problema sa transportasyon sa ating lungsod (Because we still have limited transportation, we've decided to initiate this program to ease the transportation problem in the city),” Belmonte said in initiating the program.

“Sa pamamagitan nito, mabibigyan natin ng mas mabilis at ligtas na paraan na pagbiyahe ang publiko patungo sa kanilang mga hanapbuhay at iba pang lugar na kailangan nilang puntahan (Through this, we will be able to give the public fast and safety way to reach their workplaces and other destinations),” she added.

Belmonte said, the program will be open to and free for the public during its initial run. However, it will eventually become exclusive for the city residents with QCitizen IDs.

Meanwhile, aside from providing more means of transportation, Assistant City Administrator for Operations Alberto Kimpo said, the program will also help ease traffic congestion in the city as it is more efficient, thus enabling the limited road space to be used more productively.

“The program will follow a bus trip schedule and buses will stop only at designated pick-up and drop-off points along their routes,” he said.

The bus routes are also connected to the city's Bike Lane Program. Its initial phase will begin in three major thoroughfares: Commonwealth Avenue; Quezon Memorial Circle Elliptical Road; and Quezon Avenue.

"Both these programs will help decongest the city's roads as it encourages citizens to leave their cars at home and ride their bikes or take the bus en route to their destination," the local government said.