Aquino signs EO for ‘integrated transport’ system

MANILA, Philippines – Metro Manila will soon give rise to an “integrated transport system” project that promises to provide interconnections between different transport modes and services.

Executive Order 67, which provides for the establishment of the Integrated Transport System, was signed on February 21 by president Benigno Aquino III. The EO is envisioned to provide “efficient and seamless travel for the commuting public.”

The project aims to establish two integrated transport terminals located in the north and south of Metro Manila. Other integrated transport terminals may be established for the same purpose.

The project will be included in the 2011-2016 Public Investment Program (PIP) of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and will be structured under any of the schemes allowed under the build-operate-transfer (BOT) law.

The EO also provides for the creation of an Inter-Agency Committee that will supervise the planning, implementation and monitoring of the project. The committee will be headed by the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC), and will be composed of:

• Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA)
• Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)
• Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)
• NEDA
• Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB)
• Land Transportation Office (LTO)

The interagency committee is also tasked to regulate the terminal fees that may be charged for the use of transport terminals and other facilities established under the project.
 
Funding for the operation of the interagency committee will be drawn from regular budget of each member-agency.

Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr. said on Sunday, March 2, that EO 67 serves as “the administration’s centerpiece strategy for infrastructure development”.
 
“President Aquino recognizes the importance of an organized mass transportation system, which is why he has made it a priority to interconnect the nation’s mass transportation systems such as buses and railways within his term,” Ochoa said. – Rappler.com