Common terminals for Baguio PUVs pushed

By Dexter A. See

BAGUIO CITY  – The city council approved on first reading a proposed ordinance establishing common terminals for buses, vans and other public utility vehicles travelling to and from cities, municipalities and provinces to the city.

The ordinance authored by Councilor Edgar M. Avila stated that the local government shall not allow terminals within the central business district for buses, vans and other public utility vehicles travelling to and from cities, municipalities and provinces to the city once the common terminals have been properly identified.

The ordinance added the local government aims to improve facilities, innovate on the transportation sectors service the end users by adopting a technology and other norms for its people.

Under the proposed ordinance, the common terminals shall serve as the loading and unloading points for buses, vans and other public utility vehicles travelling to and from cities, municipalities, provinces to the city, for south-bound transportation, the common terminal shall be located along Marcos highway preferably at the Baguio Dairy Farm property conveyed to the city through deed of usufruct, for north-bound transportation.

The  common terminal shall be located at the Slaughterhouse Compound area or at the property owned by the local government, for west-bound transportation, the common terminal shall be located in barangay Irisan or at the property owned by the local government, for east-bound transportation.

The common terminal shall be located at Outlook Drive within the property owned by the local government or in a property identified by the Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources as city needs.

The common terminal shall be equipped with covered loading and departure sheds with at least five bays to accommodate at least 10 vehicles side by side, the common terminals shall have covered and air-conditioned loading platforms for its passengers with minimum of 20 seats per vehicle per bay with clean rest rooms complete with basic facilities, adequate water supply, telephones, public address systems, free hot and cold water, charging stations, television sets and other amenities.

Terminals shall have separate ingress and egress for incoming and departing vehicles; the common terminal shall have a garage for the public utility vehicles and parking areas for waiting vehicles, a frontage area paved with asphalt or concrete, a waste disposal facility placed in strategic areas and a workable and efficient drainage system.

Space capacity for each transport shall be 65 square meters per vehicle for bus, 55 square meters per vehicle for mini-bus and 40 square meters per vehicle for van and funding for the common terminals shall be sourced from the local government, Bases Conversion and Development Authority and the national government or in a joint venture scheme as provided by public-private partnership.

The ordinance stipulated that existing operators who have made permanent improvements in lands they own may be exempted from the coverage of the measure which is now pending deliberations before the local legislative body.