By Azer N. Parrocha
MANILA, July 21 (PNA) — The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA)on Tuesday said 55 city buses will be extending their routes to include Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 starting Thursday to provide more modes of transportation for airport passengers.
Currently, buses going to NAIA only traverses NAIA Road going to Terminals 1 and 2.
But MIAA observed that unlike the other terminals, transportation is very limited at Terminal 3 given its distance from the main road.
Since buses do not have routes that traverse the area of the said terminal, MIAA coordinated with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to lead a trial period of extending bus routes.
MIAA said that under the new scheme, buses coming from Roxas Boulevard will take NAIA Road, proceed to Domestic Road, and then Andrews Avenue, before arriving Circulo del Mundo. From this point, buses will take the same route going back to Roxas Boulevard as they proceed north.
Although city buses will not enter the arrival or departure area of Terminal 3, a space will be allocated near Circulo del Mundo that will serve as the designated bus stop for the said terminal.
Along the route, a bus stop will also be put in place along Domestic Road to cater to passengers from Terminal 4
Loading and unloading of passengers, however, will not be allowed along Andrews Avenue. The fare matrix, meanwhile, will remain the same.
With the extension of bus routes to Terminal 3, MIAA general manager Jose Angel Honrado said that he expected queues waiting for taxis at the airport to become more manageable.
“We thank the LTFRB for readily assisting the MIAA in providing more transportation options for airport passengers,” Honrado said.
“Management is hopeful that this is only the beginning of better services for those making use of public transportation coming from the NAIA,” he added.
MIAA and the LTFRB are scheduled to meet again by the end of next month to evaluate the new scheme.
This new scheme comes after the LTFRB granted special permits to city buses to extend the south-end portion of their routes to Circulo del Mundo in Pasay City. (PNA)