LTFRB to open bus, jeepney routes amid suspended PNR train services

THE LAND Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) announced on Thursday that it will open bus and jeepney routes to serve commuters affected by the closure of select stations of the Philippine National Railways (PNR).

The five-year closure of PNR stations from Governor Pascual to Calamba is intended to give way to the construction of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR).

The 147-kilometer NSCR will connect Metro Manila to Pampanga and Laguna, with its construction eyed to be completed by 2028.

“The effect of the closure of these select PNR stations on commuters will be quite substantial so through these PUV (public utility vehicle) routes, we hope to lessen the impact of the closure,” said LTFRB Chairman Teofilo E. Guadiz III in a statement.

In a memorandum circular, the LTFRB through its Franchise Planning and Monitoring Division in cooperation with PNR identified three routes.

These are: FTI Divisoria via East Service Road and Alabang (Starmall)-Divisoria via the South Luzon Expressway for Public Utility Buses (PUBs), and Malabon-Divisoria for Modern Public Utility Jeepneys (MPUJs).

LTFRB said there will be 30 PUBs that will ply the FTI-Divisoria route, 25 PUBs for Alabang (Starmall)-Divisoria route, and five MPUJs for Malabon-Divisoria.

“However, the number of units may be modified accordingly depending on passenger demand,” it said.

The memorandum provides that units that will be authorized for these routes should not be more than five years old and will operate under a special permit for one year and renewable every year until the NSCR is fully operational. — Justine Irish D. Tabile