PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III has ordered Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Francis Tolentino to implement the centralized ticketing system and put up designated passenger waiting areas in all bus terminals to avoid chaotic situations during holiday seasons where thousands of commuters flock to the provinces.

The President issued the directives to Tolentino when he visited the Araneta Center bus terminal in Cubao, Quezon City recently where he personally check the security preparations undertaken by concerned authorities to ensure the safety of passengers.

The President admitted that he felt dismayed upon seeing the disorganized flow of passengers in and out of the terminal, and lack of passenger terminals where the people can stay on while waiting for their buses.

“Kung titingnan mo walang centralization ng ticketing, mahirap i-channel yung flow ng mga dumarating na pasahero. Maraming tao, sabay-sabay, kanya-kanya, pero puwede pa nating i-improve ang systems dito,” he said during the interview.

He added that he also tasked Tolentino to study the possible construction of a passenger bus terminal dedicated only for north plying buses and another for south direction.

“The idea is that hindi mo na kailangang mag-traverse ng EDSA para makadagdag ng traffic,” he said noting that based on daily monitoring of MMDA some 3,600 up to 7,000 buses ply Metro Manila plus another 5,000 provincial buses who also uses EDSA.

“So pag ginawa itong one terminal for the north and one terminal for the south, at si Francis Tolentino will be the person and tasked to do this, we expect the better control, better security procedures na ma establish natin,” he further explained.