MANILA, Philippines – The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) will launch two city bus routes starting Tuesday, June 2, after several commuters were stranded due to insufficient public transport when Metro Manila shifted to general community quarantine on Monday. 

Transportation Assistant Secretary Goddes Libiran told reporters on Monday, June 1, that LTFRB would allow the following routes:

• Route 5 from Angat, Bulacan, to Quezon Avenue in Quezon City
• Route 28 from Dasmariñas, Cavite, dropping off passenger at Heritage Hotel in Pasay City, before stationing at the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX)

So far, the LTFRB has allowed 510 units to ply the Angat-Quezon Avenue route and 151 buses for the Dasmariñas-PITX route. The number of units that would service commuters on Tuesday has yet to be confirmed, Libiran said. (READ: Will public transportation be enough once Metro Manila is placed under GCQ?)

These buses can only pick up passengers at designated MMDA bus stops, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Assistant Secretary Celine Pialago said.

According to Pialago, the opening of the Angat-Quezon Avenue route is the “response” of traffic agencies to service Commonwealth Avenue commuters.

Metro Manila shifted to GCQ on Monday. With mass transportation crippled due to national government policies, several commuters were stranded during the Monday morning rush hour because of the insufficient number of public utility vehicles.

The national government had to deploy vehicles to pick up the stranded commuters.

On Friday, May 29, the Department of Transportation said public transportation would resume in two phases, allowing train systems, bus augmentation, taxis, transport network vehicle services, shuttle services, and point-to-point buses to start operations on Monday.

Public utility buses, modern jeepneys, and UV Express were supposed to start on June 22.

As transport experts warned, PUVs were not enough during the first day of GCQ in Metro Manila. (READ: On their own: Commuters and the looming transportation crisis in Metro Manila)

A jeepney group also staged a protest along Commonwealth Avenue on Monday, asking the government to allow them to resume operations. – Rappler.com