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CITY OF
SAN FERNANDO—Commuters in this Central Luzon city are
denouncing the city government for insisting on opening
a common transport terminal on the Gapan-San Fernando-Olongapo
(GSO) Road.
The city
government is set to formally open the common terminal
next month. It is located near the intersection of
Lazatin Boulevard and GSO road.
Commuters interviewed by the BusinessMirror said that
with the common terminal, they have to spend more for
transportation, at least P10 more a day, because of the
location of the terminal, that is about a kilometer away
from the main intersection.
“We
expected to benefit from the terminal, but it turned out
that its opening only resulted in reduced sales,” an
employee of a restaurant near the area said. She
requested anonymity.
Students
who commute between Pampanga and Metro Manila daily said
that the operation of the new terminal is inconvenient
for them.
“Before
we can wait along the highway to take bus ride, now
buses have to stop at a single and loading zone and the
next stop is the common terminal. This is inconvenient
because our houses are near the highway,” a student
studying in Manila, said.
Bus and
jeepney operators have to use the common terminal or
face a fine of P1,500.
The
business establishments located near the San Fernando
flyover, on the other hand, have lost about 30 percent
to 40 percent of their sales since the soft opening of
the common terminal on Monday last week.
These
include a Mercury Drug outlet, Jollibee and McDonalds
branches and Dunkin Donuts store to name a few.
“The
place looks like a ghost town,” a transport operator who
requested anonymity said.
Let
Panganiban, a land owner in the area said she has the
tenants who rent spaces in her lot owing to the opening
of the common terminal.
Panganiban said she will call the attention of President
Arroyo on the problem before the formal inauguration of
the common terminal on February 11. The President has
been invited to attend the inauguration as guest of
honor.
Members
of the Pampanga Chamber of Commerce are also opposed to
the operation of the new transport terminal and the
loading and unloading policy, that are part of the new
traffic rerouting scheme being implemented in the city
because of their adverse effect on the businesses in the
area.
The
BusinessMirror tried to get the side of city officials
on the matter but failed. The secretary of a ranking
official said that her bosses were in a conference and
she did not know when the meeting would end. |
