Not too long ago, Acting Secretary Giovanni Lopez of the Department of Transportation did a Monday morning commute that involved riding a bus from Commonwealth Avenue, then taking the MRT-3.
“Talagang mahirap yung dinaranas ng mga kababayan natin araw-araw,” he said of the experience. “Parusa at nakaka-pagod ang pagkokomyut. Gagawan natin ng agarang solusyon ito para kahit papaano mapagaan natin ang nararanasan nila sa pag-commute at di masayang ang oras nila.”
Soon after, the DOTr announced that certain officials of the agency would be required to take public transportation to work once a week, “to have firsthand experience in the operations of various modes of public transportation to better understand the predicaments of the commuting/riding public.”
Well, here is the DOTr’s latest measure to help ease the burden of public transport users: The agency said it will deploy personnel along Commonwealth Avenue beginning September 24, 2025, to address the “long waiting times, irregular PUV headways, overcrowding, and unsafe boarding conditions” that Lopez saw and experienced.
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The new initiative will be an inter-agency operation involving the DOTr, the Land Transportation Office, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, the Metro Manila Development Authority, the Philippine Coast Guard, and the Quezon City Department of Public Order and Safety.
The official release did not mention the exact locations along Commonwealth Avenue where traffic personnel will be deployed, only that they will be located at “high-impact stations.” They will provide assistance especially to senior citizens and persons with disabilities, and will also monitor headways and dwell times. Of note, the LTFRB reported that deployed public utility vehicles “fall significantly short of the authorized units” during peak hours.
“Pilot run pa lamang ito, para makita natin kung saang mga lugar kailangang mag-deploy ng mga personnel, at kung gaano karaming PUVs ang dapat idagdag para hindi araw-araw nakikipagsapalaran yung mga pasahero para lang makasakay,” Lopez said.
What do you think of the DOTr’s latest initiative?
