Manila nixes bus bay in front of Quiapo Church

MANILA, Philippines - The Manila city government has thumbed down a request by a group of bus firms affected by the city’s provisional bus ban to set up a loading-unloading bay in front of the Quiapo Church.

Vice Mayor Isko Moreno, the city’s designated traffic czar, said they cannot heed the request because the streets near Plaza Miranda, where the church is located, are already congested.

“But we agreed to come up with more bus stops for them,” Moreno said after their dialogue last Thursday.

Moreno added that the city has also asked the bus firms to come up with their own proposal on where the city government should put up the loading and unloading bays.

“We will study their proposal and compare it with ours so we can come up with a better traffic system,” he said.

The proposal to install more bus stops was suggested during a dialogue in the city hall after the bus firms defied the bus ban last Thursday.

It is one of the compromises that both parties have entered into to resolve the deadlock.

The parties have also agreed that the bus companies will have to rent terminal space at private parking buildings TriModal or Park N Ride in exchange for a lower terminal fee.

Mayor Joseph Estrada said the bus firms are expected to submit their proposal next week.