PITX also known as Parañaque Terminal Exchange has been creating a buzz recently for it’s modern state of the art bus terminal for provincial and in-city routes, especially coming from the south such as Cavite and Batangas.
This morning, I was able to see what it was like inside during the soft opening of the PITX in Paranaque. I went down to the Information Counter to check for taxis but they told me that there are E-Jeepneys waiting right at the end that goes straight to my destination.
Next to the Information Counter, you have the Ticketing Counter where you purchase your tickets to your destinations. With that, you will also be instructed as to which gate you must catch the bus.
During the soft opening (Nov. 11, 2018), our bus made a turn to the PITX that surprised a lot of commuters where some of them were really upset with the sudden change of route and with no public advisory. I really felt bad for them but in my case, I wasn’t really rushing for anything so I walked around and took some photos inside the PITX.
Though not fully operational, I see this terminal is going to go expand and even more shops are about to open soon. I was very excited to explore this terminal.
Similar to our airports, you will also find monitor screens which display bus schedules such as gates and whether the bus is already boarding or not. Very modern isn’t?
With a fully air-conditioned building, you can also relax and wait in one of the many comfortable chairs around the terminal. I was really surprised how modern it looks compared to other terminals we have in the Philippines.
If you are carrying heavy loads, there are also carts available for you to use. The whole terminal is big so expect a lot of walking just to get from one gate to another. It’s good exercise though.
It’s very important for passengers to be reminded of the proper etiquette for escalators. Walk on the left and stand on the right. Understood? These signs can be found all around the terminal which is good.
PITX TERMINAL GUIDE
BUS
1. Look for the bus schedule found in the Public Information Display Monitor
2. Proceed to the ticketing counter and buy your ticket. Cash payment is accepted at the moment.
3. Proceed to the boarding gate 15 minutes before departure.
4. Scan your ticket in the validation machine to pass through.
5. Hop on the bus and relax.
AUV
1. Proceed to the 3rd floor.
2. Look for your destination and pay the driver.
JEEPNEY
1. Proceed to the Jeepney bay area located at the ground floor.
2. Look for the right Jeepney and pay the driver.
TAXI
1. Proceed to the Information Counter and get a Taxi Queuing number.
2. Go to the Taxi bay area and wait for your taxi.
Now that you have the basic guide, I wandered around the terminal again. I really coulnd’t believe we have one like this in the Philippines. This is the very first and hope more to come in the coming years.
Once you have your ticket, you will proceed to the gates and scan your ticket in one of these validating machines.
I went to the toilet and I was so happy to find that they have three, and that includes the ALL GENDER toilet which I assume is an LGBT-friendly Terminal. I went to the male toilet as to check what it’s like and it made me realize that this is so much better than the toilets we have in our airport terminals.
The PITX (Paranaque Integrated Terminal Exchange really exceeded my expectations. Though a lot of commuters became stressed during the soft opening, I see this as a breakthrough to modernizing our transport system. I am sure that they will soon improve the system and people will get used to it. But as for the terminal itself, this by far is one of the best!
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