The Metro Manila Development Authority on Saturday announced the deferment of the actual implementation of a new policy regulating the entry of provincial buses along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue from Aug. 1 to Aug. 15.
MMDA general manager Jose Arturo Garcia Jr. said the agency is in talks with Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board regarding the modification of routes of provincial buses coming from the north and south.
“There are some lines that we need to modify for the convenience of the passengers. We will discuss the routes with LTFRB officials on Monday,” said Garcia.
Garcia said that the MMDA is considering the possibility of banning select provincial bus routes on Edsa from Balintawak to Magallanes with the opening of Valenzuela Interim Terminal, also on Aug. 15.
“The route of select provincial buses coming from the north has to end at the Valenzuela terminal. However, nothing is final yet. We have yet to identify and recommend the routes,” said Garcia.
Provincial buses coming from the south that do not have terminals in Pasay City would be directed to use the agency-operated Southwest Interim Provincial Terminal in Parañaque City.
In the meantime, Garcia said they would extend until Aug. 14 the dry run activity for provincial bus regulation.
From July 24 to July 27, more than 477 provincial buses have been flagged down and warned during the dry run.
As previously announced, provincial buses would be banned from traversing along EDSA from Pasay City until Cubao in Quezon City, from 7 am to 10 am and from 6 pm to 9 pm, on weekdays starting Aug. 1. Joel E. Zurbano
The MMDA is expecting a faster turn-around of provincial buses once the regulation is fully enforced during the morning and evening rush hours.
“We expect that the regulation would speed up travel of private motorists and passenger buses using the yellow lane along EDSA during peak hours,” said Garcia
The MMDA came up with the policy after members of the Metro Manila Council, the agency’s governing board composed of 17 mayors and local executives in Metro Manila, agreed to its proposal to ease traffic congestion in the metropolis caused by simultaneous road projects in the second half of 2018.
The government is targeting of improving the traffic condition in Metro Manila by establishing modern transport hubs outside the metropolis and preventing provincial buses from passing through EDSA.