Ateneo extends run of new shuttle system
The run of Ateneo de Manila University’s new shuttle system has been extended to twelve hours from 6 AM to 6 PM. The shuttle system is on a trial run and was first implemented last Feb. 18. It supplemented the one-way scheme in its Loyola Campus. The one way scheme has been in effect since Feb. 11 and since then traffic flow inside the university has been smooth.
Right now parents with children in grade school and high school are being encouraged to drop off all their children at the Grade School (Shuttle terminal is near Irwin Theater) from whence they can take the shuttle to either the Loyola Schools (terminals at JSEC Mall Lobby and Xavier Hall) or the High School department (High School Driveway). Shuttles run from 6 to 9 AM daily.
One more station has also been added so that these stations are (1) Grade School, (2) JSEC Mall, (3) Xavier Hall, (4) High School, (5) LHS/LST.
Facilities Management Office (FMO) Director Arnie Batac said even the morning traffic has been straightened out and is now flowing smoothly. “What is troublesome are the diggings along Katipunan Rd.,” he said. The shuttle system will hopefully reduce the volume of cars within the campus during the morning peak hours, between 6 to 9 AM.
The shuttle system was also one of the recommendations of the Ateneo Traffic Group (ATG) as was the one-way system. According to Batac, they avoided the tricycle terminals so that these shuttles would not take away their business.
This system was intended to encourage less dependence on private cars by providing a more inclusive means of transport when inside the campus.
For the trial run, the shuttle will primarily serve parents dropping off students in more than one unit. The main pick-up point will be at Grade School Drop-off B. From there, high school or college students will be taken to their destination through the nearest designated drop-off points. A memo issued by the Facilities Management Office on Beb. 29, 2013 said that the shuttle service has been extended. The trial service will now be available from 6AM to 6PM. During peak hours (6-8am, 11am-1pm, and 4-6pm), four units will be running. This will be reduced to three during the non-peak hours.
The extended service will be on trial on February 28 and on March 1. On March 2, the service will be from 6am to 1pm only.
The FMO is encouraging those in the campus to shift to this alternative means of campus mobility and avoid the need to go around campus through private cars during the morning peak hours.
The shuttles will be dispatched at an interval of five minutes starting 6 AM and hopefully will be able to make full turn-around within 20 minutes to maintain the desired five-minute interval all throughout its operation. Each stop to drop-off and pick-up passengers will last for fifteen seconds only.
University President Fr Jett Villarin SJ said the one-way scheme was implemented after due consultation and deliberation and after a thorough evaluation of at least 16 traffic model scenarios and the feedback gathered from various consultation activities.
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