Bus stops proposed ahead of TPB launch

CEBU, Philippines —  The Cebu Provincial Government has started coordinating with local government units (LGUs) on designated bus stops for the Tabang PangByahe Program (TPB), as preparations continue for its targeted October rollout.

In a post from the official Facebook page of Cebu Province, the Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO) met with traffic managers of concerned LGUs on Thursday, August 27, to discuss the proposed locations of bus stops for the program’s north and south routes.

This comes as the government prepares to deploy buses under the TPB, a service contracting program intended to improve the availability and reliability of public transportation amid the reduction in deployed units by some operators due to rising fuel costs.

Executive Assistant V Elizar Sabinay Jr. of the PPDO said the program has been in development for nearly eight months, with preparations starting in November 2025.

During the meeting, the PPDO’s TPB team presented the rationalized bus stop locations to the traffic managers of the participating LGUs.

For the north route, buses are planned to travel between Cebu IT Park and Danao City, with three proposed bus stops each in Mandaue City, Consolacion, Liloan, Compostela, and Danao City.

The south route, meanwhile, will run between the Cebu South Bus Terminal and Simala in Sibonga.

Three bus stops each are proposed in Talisay City, Minglanilla, the City of Naga, San Fernando, Carcar City, and Sibonga for the south route.

The proposed stops are intended to organize passenger loading and unloading while ensuring that buses comply with the operating conditions set under the TPB.

This program was envisioned to help ease the difficulties faced by commuters, particularly by reducing waiting times and improving the frequency and dependability of trips.

The TPB also seeks to provide more comfortable trips by requiring buses to be clean and sanitary and by prohibiting standing passengers.

Sabinay said the program is designed around service standards that participating operators must meet as part of the province’s subsidy arrangement.

The TPB is not intended to provide free rides. Instead, the provincial government will subsidize a winning bus operator under a service contracting arrangement.

The program has a P20-million allocation from the Department of Transportation (DOTr), with assistance from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).

Under the arrangement, the provincial government will provide a subsidy to the selected bus operator, subject to conditions meant to improve the safety, comfort, and reliability of public transport services.

The subsidy will be linked to the operator’s compliance with requirements such as following designated bus stops and enforcing the prohibition on standing passengers.

The province, in coordination with the DOTr, will use a net service contracting scheme to increase bus dispatch frequency, extend operating hours, shorten passenger waiting times and reduce overloading.

Participating operators will also be required to follow agreed schedules and deploy additional buses when necessary.

The buses should be equipped with GPS and closed-circuit television (CCTV) systems to allow authorities to monitor trips and strengthen passenger safety.

The PPDO will oversee the monitoring and evaluation of the program through dispatch inspections, ride monitoring and surprise checks to determine whether operators are complying with the agreed service standards.

The province’s coordination with the LGUs will continue as it works to finalize the bus routes, stops and operating arrangements before the TPB’s planned October launch.