DCOTT pushes for 2 new bus terminals

THE DAVAO City Overland Transport Terminal (DCOTT) management is pushing for the immediate construction of two new bus terminals, one each in the northern and southern areas, as the existing lone facility could no longer handle the increasing number of provincial buses. “The property is not enough to cater additional bus units. Kino-control na namin ang mga bus na pumapasok sa DCOTT,” DCOTT Manager Aisa Usop said in a media forum earlier this week. She said the city council has already approved the proposal, and implementation is now in the hands of the City Planning and Development Office. The planned sites are Toril in the south and Buhangin in the north. Ms. Usop also noted that traffic congestion around the DCOTT, located in a 1.7-hectare property in the Ecoland area, is worsening, especially during peak hours. Ms. Usop also reported that DCOTT surpassed its P50-million income target in 2019 with P64 million already collected as of November. “There is no total yet, but I am expecting more or less P70 million income… for 2019,” she said. DCOTT’s revenues come from fees for buses and vans, stall rentals, and porter fee, among others. — Maya M. Padillo