DOTr, ALI break ground for P4-B Taguig terminal
By 2027, commuters traveling between Laguna, Batangas, and Metro Manila may be able to use the Taguig City Integrated Terminal Exchange (TCITX), which is also set to provide a direct link to major railways currently under development.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) and Ayala Land Inc. (ALI), along with other government agencies, held a groundbreaking ceremony on Monday for the P4-billion multi-modal terminal whose construction is set to start immediately after.
Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista, during the event, said the terminal was designed to cater to 160,000 passengers and 5,200 vehicles daily.
The 5.57-hectare terminal, situated at FTI Compound in Arca South, would be “instrumental in decongesting major thoroughfares and offering a smoother journey for the riding public,” Bautista said.
ALI will build passenger terminal buildings and arrival and departure bays. In addition, it will equip TCITX with public information systems, ticketing and baggage handling facilities and park-ride facilities.
ALI president and CEO Anna Ma. Margarita Dy said the terminal would provide passengers point-to-point access to the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) and Metro Manila Subway, enabling seamless transfers for commuters.
Both railways are still under construction. The 147-kilometer (km) NSCR will have 35 stations linking Pampanga to Laguna and can accommodate 800,000 passengers daily. The 33-km underground railway is designed to have 17 stations connecting Valenzuela City to Pasay City and will service over 519,000 passengers per day.
“So one can come from Laguna via bus and transfer to the subway to go to Quezon City or take the NSCR and head straight to Pampanga. This is the kind of transportation infrastructure that truly propels productivity and growth,” Dy said.
