Provincial buses ban in Manila to start April 1

Starting April 1, the city of Manila will be off-limits to provincial buses, as ordered by Mayor Alfredo Lim. Lim said bus operators broke their promise to follow rerouting schemes and refrain from causing traffic jams, according to a report on dwIZ radio Saturday. Under the new scheme, provincial buses will have to load and unload passengers at the boundaries of the city. The mayor cited reports that some bus operators would bribe city traffic enforcers to allow their buses to park in busy areas such as Lawton in Manila. He added that several provincial bus operators turned the area near Sta. Cruz Church into virtual terminals, loading and unloading passengers and causing traffic jams there. Lim said the city government had initially agreed to let provincial buses enter the city so long as they do not disrupt traffic, especially along Taft Avenue. Besides, he said, the city government already put up the “Park and Ride" terminal near Lawton for buses to pick up and unload passengers. — LBG, GMANews.TV