To ensure safe and convenient travel for thousands of Filipinos heading to the provinces for All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has approved special permits for 847 passenger buses covering 124 routes across Metro Manila and Luzon.
Of the 847, 491 buses will ply the Metro Manila-Northern Luzon routes, 189 are for Calabarzon and Mimaropa and 67 for the Bicol Region.
Eighteen buses were approved for the Metro Manila- Eastern Visayas route, 21 for Western Visayas and five for Mindanao-bound trips. Another 56 units will serve routes in other parts of Luzon.
‘These additional buses will accommodate more passengers heading to the provinces to visit their dead,’ LTFRB chief Vigor Mendoza said.
Mendoza reminded bus operators that the approval of special permits comes with the responsibility of ensuring the roadworthiness of their vehicles and the readiness of drivers and conductors.
The LTFRB expects the Undas exodus to begin this weekend, with some schools declaring ‘wellness breaks’ starting Oct. 27.
Mendoza ordered the inspection of bus terminals and transport stations to ensure passenger safety.
‘Oplan Undas’
Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority will activate ‘Oplan Undas’ today as commuters and motorists start visiting cemeteries, MMDA general manager Procopio Lipana said.
The MMDA held a meeting with representatives from Metro Manila’s 17 local government units, the police Highway Patrol Group, Department of Transportation, North Luzon Expressway and South Luzon Expressway to address traffic gridlocks during Undas.
Inspections and random drug testing of drivers will be implemented at bus terminals, the MMDA said.
In Manila, Mayor Isko Moreno said police officers in civilian clothes would be deployed in cemeteries.