(Eagle News)–Those riding the buses deployed under the Metro Rail Transit-3 Bus Augmentation Program can expect the vehicles to leave stations in intervals of five minutes regardless of whether or not they are full.
The MRT-3 said it was implementing the 5-minute fixed interval schedule to ferry passengers from designated loading and unloading stations along the MRT-3 line.
Buses will be using dedicated median lanes along EDSA to deliver faster travel times to passengers.
Under the MRT-3 Bus Augmentation Program, the first bus departs at 5:30 a.m. and the last bus departs at 8:00 p.m.
The MRT-3 said southbound loading stations are located at MRT3 North Ave. Station and Quezon Ave. Station, and unloading stations are at Ayala Station and Taft Station.
Northbound loading stations are situated at MRT3 Taft Station and Ayala Station, and unloading stations are at Ayala Station, Quezon Ave. Station, and North Ave. Station.
The list of loading and unloading stations will be gradually expanded, “pursuant to the DOTr’s phased and calibrated approach in restarting Metro Manila’s public transport network,” the MRT-3 said.
The MRT-3 Bus Augmentation Program is intended to augment the number of passengers transported, with the MRT-3’s current reduced capacity of 394 per train set, due to the implementation of 1-meter physical distancing inside trains
The bus operators that have been service contracted by DOTr-MRT3 are grantees of special permits from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.
They are required under their special permit to observe health and safety measures, including the 50% capacity loading, implementation of a “No Face Mask, No Ride” policy, temperature check of passenger prior to boarding, and regular disinfection during operations.
As of 4 June, the MRT3 Bus Augmentation Program has ferried 4,383 passengers.
