THE LAND Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board is planning to reactivate old bus routes in Metro Manila once face-to-face classes resume in August.

LTFRB Chairman Cheloy Garafil said city bus routes, particularly those not traversing EDSA, comprised about 30 percent of the total pre-pandemic routes.

“Noong pandemic, for health and safety protocols, maraming na-cut na lines… ‘Yung old routes since maraming nagre-reklamo (na) mga driver din na nawalan ng hanapbuhay, hindi viable ang pagpasada nila kaya hindi sila pumapasada.

That’s what we’re studying and we hope to return once we go back to school in August or September,” Garafil said during a meeting on Friday in preparation for the return of F2F classes.

Meanwhile, Transport Secretary Jaime Bautista said his office recommended to achieve an accessible, affordable, comfortable, and safe travel experience for all commuters, especially the students.

“Napag-usapan namin ni VP Sara after the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday that there is indeed, a need for different agencies to meet and discuss problems and possible solutions, which we will encounter when face-to-face classes start in August,” Bautista said.

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority officer-in-charge Baltazar Melgar said the agency would deploy about 2,238 personnel along major roads and high-density schools in the National Capital Region.

Baltazar noted 581 traffic enforcers will be distributed to assist 148 schools for the resumption of in-person classes.

Aside from reinstating old routes, several recommendations were also presented to ensure a better commuting experience for students, and these include free ride on the EDSA Busway, LRT-2, and the Pasig River Ferry.

President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. earlier said free ride for students in LRT-2 will start in August.