Supermalls Transport

Manila Bulletin: Reinventing the transport terminal

For most Filipinos, a transport terminal conjures an image of a dilapidated place teeming with people, reeking of diesel fumes, full of vendors hawking their wares, and echoing with the noise of barkers/dispatchers shouting their lungs out to call for passengers. But things are getting better – for Legazpi City at least.

A group of young entrepreneurs from Bicol is modernizing Legazpi’s antiquated bus terminal by transforming it into an integrated transport-lifestyle complex with comforts and leisure facilities for commuters.

The LKY Group will open early next month The Metro, Legazpi City’s state-of-the-art transport terminal. Built on a 3.9-hectare land, the P150-million project is expected to be a showcase of what terminals of the future should be.

Wilbert Lee, president of LKY Group, said final preparations are underway for The Metro’s dry run starting June 8.

“We want the system to be per-fect,” he said. “We’ll be starting off with jeepneys and filcabs (FX) first, then buses.”

Lee likens the project to a modern airport, with avant-garde design and efficient layout. The place boasts of a computerized entry-exit system to give much needed order to the comings and goings of vehicles. Every driver is given a swipe card to serve as access card, ensuring fast and efficient terminal operations. The system is hooked to the TV monitors at the waiting areas for passengers to know the arrival and departure of their bus, jeepney or filcab.

The terminal’s waiting areas have all the comfort features that make commuting a breeze – luxurious, clean and fresh-smelling toilets, strategically located waiting areas and food stalls serving freshly-cooked meals at affordable prices.

That’s not all. The Metro will also have a Lifestyle Hub that promises to be a haven for road-weary travelers looking for a place to relax, be entertained or recharged. Patterned after the Bonifacio High Street concept in Metro Manila, The Metro’s lifestyle hub will have retail stores, restaurants and bars to cater to all ages.

Lee said retail outlets are already inquiring on The Metro’s leasing arrangements. He explained that The Metro’s rates are cheaper than the malls and no percentage of sales will be required of locators.

“Unlike malls, our rates are purely on a per-square-meter basis,” said Lee.

The Metro was built without a single centavo coming from the government. A build-operate-and-trans-fer (BOT) project, it is completely funded by the private sector and will be turned over to the government after 40 years.

Lee revealed that the LKY Group will soon be working on a similar project in Tacloban City.

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