THE ATENEO Point to Point Plus (P2P+) shuttle service, an initiative of the Ateneo de Manila University and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, has recently implemented a service fare of Php 50 per trip, effective last March 13.
Marcelino J. Mendoza, director of the Campus Safety and Mobility Office (CSMO), announced through a memo dated March 11.that students and employees would now have to pay for a minimum of three tickets per purchase to avail of the service.
Office of Student Services (OSS) Director Michael Jacinto Mallillin said that the implementation of the service fare was necessary to pay for the expenses of the buses and keep the shuttle service going.
In an article published on the August 2016 issue of The GUIDON, Mendoza already stated that the shuttle service will not always be free of charge and that they would soon have a fare upon the decision of the best possible rate.
“Initially, the high school volunteered to shoulder first the initial cost for the initial trips, pero ‘di ‘yan forever… and then yung rates kasi, inaayos pa namin yun. Gusto namin yung pinakamababang rate para maging successful itong system (We want the lowest possible rate to make this system successful),” Mendoza said.
Service fare
The Ateneo P2P+ was initially offered for free, but implemented a service fare effective March 13, 2017.
The implementation of the fare elicited negative reactions from the Ateneo community, and raised several concerns.
In an online interview with The GUIDON, Matthew Mendoza (2 BS CTM) said that the service fare is “very costly and unjust,” and felt that the income of students was not properly taken into consideration when implementing the fare.
Mendoza also stated that the removal of the westbound trip to Trinoma, along with the high cost of the tickets, discouraged him from further availing of the service.
Romeo Macasaet (3 BS MGT) said that while he understands the need to fund for the buses, he still believes that the service fare is unreasonable.
“First, they’re catering mostly to students and employees [on a] limited budget. Second, the distance between the destinations doesn’t reasonably justify the fee, even when you take into account intangibles, [such as] comfort, convenience, etc. Also, traffic is better along some of the routes now, so there’s no reason to charge high fees,” he said.
Despite the cost of the trips, however, some students still chose to continue availing of the service due to its convenience.
Sydney Lagos (2 AB COM) said that her commute with the Ateneo P2P+ is still more convenient than her regular “walk-jeep-trike” commute.
“The P2P+ provides a more comfortable trip home and ensures that I am able to make it back to my village safely and more quickly. I’d rather be spending my time studying or resting while waiting for the bus rather than burning time standing at the side of the road and waiting for the jeep,” she said.
One Big Move
In order to provide discussions with the student body, the Department of Student Welfare and Services, in cooperation with the Ateneo P2P+, OSS, CSMO and Ateneo Institute for Sustainability, held One Big Move: A Mobility Forum on April 3 to address the different mobility issues and initiatives on campus.
Mallillin explained that since the implementation of the service fare, ridership has decreased and remains low. Data on ridership from October to February shows that an average of 83 people ride from SM Marikina, 65 from Temple Drive and 60 from UP TechnoHub. This is for the morning trips alone, with high school students and Loyola Schools students combined.
Data on ridership for March shows that an average of seven people ride from SM Marikina, 15 from Temple Drive and nine from UP TechnoHub. Several factors have caused this difference, such as having to cut down trips because there were no more classes in the Ateneo High School and the implementation of the fare.
Mallillin also said that the implementation of the fare is necessary because of the cost of the shuttle services. One bus costs Php 7,500 per day or Php 450,000 per month. At full capacity or 50 persons per bus with the service fare, only Php 2,500 is generated or Php 350,000 per month, with a loss of a minimum of Php 100,000.
Despite this, the Ateneo is still operating at a loss with the buses. However, Mallillin said that there is still great value in providing this service. “If we discontinue the shuttle service, it will be a lost not just for the riders but also for the value behind it,” he said.
Mobility initiatives
The Ateneo P2P+ started out as The Ateneo W.A.Y. (Walang Aberyang Yayanig sa Biyaheng Ateneo), and initially targeted Ateneo Junior and Senior High School students and their parents or guardians.
Drop-off points were initially limited to the SM Marikina basement, UP Techno Hub, and Temple Drive, with the buses leaving at 6:30 and 6:45 AM for all drop-off points.
In July 2016, when The Ateneo W.A.Y. rebranded to The Ateneo P2P+, the buses started leaving the drop-off points or “hubs” at 6:15 and 6:45 am instead, with an additional 7:15 AM trip for SM Marikina. An additional hub at UP Town Center, whose bus leaves at 7:15 AM, was also put into place.
Trips from Ateneo back to the hubs were also offered, with two northbound trips leaving at 5:15 and 5:45 PM, one westbound trip leaving at 5:30 PM, one southbound trip leaving at 5:30 PM, and two eastbound trips leaving at 5:15 and 5:45 PM.
In order to avail of the service, students and employees had to register online through a Google Form, and are tasked to send a text message to certain cell phone numbers on the day they wish to ride the buses before the cut-off point at 4:00 pm. Students and employees who do not send a text message before the cut-off point but wish to avail of the service will be considered as a chance passenger.
The Ateneo P2P+ is offered from Mondays to Fridays.
