The Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Philippine National Railways (PNR) yesterday started constructing the housing relocation sites for the PNR South Long-Haul project.
DOTr and PNR led the groundbreaking ceremony for the housing resettlement sites, after they secured approval from the board of the National Housing Authority for the construction of the relocation sites in the primary segment of the PNR South Long-Haul.
The project involves the creation of 3,651 housing units, valued at P2.8 billion in total, to serve four local government units in Quezon province: San Pablo, Tiaong, Candelaria and Pagbilao.
Jaime Bautista, DOTr secretary, said the project will complete almost 9,000 housing units for families affected by flooding due to the construction of the PNR South Long-Haul.
The P142-billion PNR South Long-Haul project, also called, PNR Bicol, initially runs 380 kilometers from Banlic, Calamba to Daraga, Albay. It will span 39 cities and municipalities, four provinces and two regions.
It will involve the construction of 23 stations, 230 bridges, 10 passenger tunnels and a 70-hectare depot in San Pablo, Laguna.
In a related development, the DOTr, along with the InterAgency Council for Traffic, Land Transportation Office, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board and the Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group, in partnership with Ayala Land Inc., yesterday launched the point-to-point (P2P) bus service of RRCG Transport, signaling its official run along the EDSA Busway.
The P2P bus service is set to ply the Alabang-EDSA Shaw route and vice versa, from Mondays to Fridays.
During the ceremony, Bautista underscored the innovative benefits brought about by the inception of P2P bus services, both for the commuting public and the metropolis’ transport system.
“We have seen the huge success of P2P service on various routes, providing efficient travel on our heavily crowded highways. These highly patronized P2P services conveniently link points in Metro Manila with nearby cities and communities,” he said.
“This sets a new standard for comfortable, accessible, safe, and efficient transportation,” Bautista added.
Forming part of the DOTr’s initiatives, the premium P2P bus service envisions providing commuters with a new, reliable and safe mode of transport, as well as encourage car users to shift into using premium buses by connecting car communities to business districts.
