The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority said on Sunday that a total of 131 private vehicles and public utility buses were apprehended for violating the yellow lane scheme along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue.
MMDA Chairman Emerson Carlos said that 70 PUBs and 61 private vehicles along the Edsa southbound lane from Shaw Blvd. to Guadalupe were apprehended for violating the scheme which is being strictly enforced since Jan. 18.
Carlos said the scheme allows passenger buses to travel faster, thus, easing traffic congestion along Edsa.
He said the stricter implementation of the scheme allows high occupancy vehicles such as PUBs to move faster which can help ease traffic congestion in major thoroughfares.
PUBs violating the yellow lane scheme incur a P200 fine each and private vehicles, P500 each.
He said the smooth traffic at the yellow lane prompted some private motorists to traverse risking penalty.
However, despite the implementation of the scheme, Carlos was surprised that PUBs still wanted to go out of the yellow lane.
Carlos said PUBs have no reasons to go out of yellow lane since no passengers are unloading at the inner lane of Edsa.
Carlos earlier said that they will revive the contactless scheme in penalizing traffic violators to avoid traffic congestion.
Under the contactless policy, violators will not be stopped by traffic enforcers but instead their plate number will be just recorded.
Later, the MMDA will then summon the erring motorists.
Earlier, Chief Superintendent Arnold Gunnacao, director of the Highway Patrol Group, said the travel time of PUBs went faster with the strict implementation of the yellow lane policy. Gunnacao said the travel time of PUBs was 30 minutes faster as they have already exclusive lanes.