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BUMPER TO BUMPER. Heavy traffic along EDSA in Quezon City on August 27, 2024, as people head back to work after the long weekend break.
Jire Carreon/Rappler
Earlier, DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla and MMDA Chairperson Don Artes announce that there are plans to scrap the EDSA bus carousel
MANILA, Philippines — Department of Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista assured the public that the EDSA bus carousel will not be removed.
“Hindi tatanggalin ang EDSA busway. Nagkaroon lang ng discussion diyan pero hindi siya tatanggalin,” Bautista said in an interview with DWPM Radyo 630. (The EDSA busway will not be removed. There was just a discussion about it, but it will not be taken down.)
The transport chief recently met with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and other Cabinet members to discuss the Comprehensive Traffic Management Plan for Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
Bautista said that even Marcos stressed that “we need to have an efficient public transport system.”
Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairperson Don Artes also met with the president to discuss the said plan.
However, they offered a contrasting viewpoint. Remulla and Artes announced that there are plans to scrap the bus system once the MRT-3 can handle all the passengers currently relying on the buses. It’s part of their grand scheme to address EDSA’s notorious traffic.
Artes previously said that the EDSA bus carousel overlaps with the MRT-3’s route.
Bautista said that MRT-3 runs from North Avenue in Quezon City to Taft Avenue in Pasay City, covering 13 stations and operating on fixed hours.
Meanwhile, the EDSA Bus Carousel runs a longer route from Monumento in Caloocan City to PITX in Parañaque City, covering 23 stops and serving commuters 24/7, during late-night and early-morning hours when trains are out of service.
Bautista also said that even point-to-point buses and airport express buses are now being allowed to ply the EDSA Busway to help alleviate congestion along the country’s busiest thoroughfare.
The Move as One Coalition, alongside 22 other civil organizations, voiced their concerns over statements made by Artes and Remulla. The groups urged national agencies to prioritize the needs of pedestrians, public transportation users, and cyclists over other road users.
“All of us are pedestrians, and a significant number are choosing to walk or cycle to work and school and to access social services,” the statement reads.
EDSA busway expansion
There is an ongoing feasibility study for the EDSA busway project’s privatization which is expected to be completed in a few months, Bautista said.
“Gusto sana natin na yung EDSA Busway conforms to international standards para sa comfort at convenience ng ating mga pasahero,” he added. (We would like the EDSA Busway to conform to international standards for the comfort and convenience of our passengers.)
Last year, the DOTr announced that bidding for the EDSA bus carousel would begin this 2025, Business World reported. – Rappler.com
More inclusive public transportation makes Philippine cities more liveable. Rappler has a dedicated space to stories about improving quality of life in our cities. Check out the Make Manila Liveable page here.
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