The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority on Wednesday said city buses weaving in and out of the yellow lane caused heavy traffic on EDSA over the last few days.
In an interview with GMA News, MMDA General Manager Jojo Garcia explained that while provincial and P2P (point-to-point) buses are allowed to use flyovers and underpasses, city buses are not.
“The problem is, when the provincial buses and P2P buses do this, the city buses follow. If they see a traffic enforcer, they’ll try to go back into the yellow lane, causing more traffic,” Garcia said in Filipino.
Only a few bus companies on Wednesday observed the dry run on a ban on provincial buses on EDSA, and traffic on the 23.8-kilometer highway remained heavy, aggravated by the confusion about the yellow lane policy.
“It was hard because they literally occupied the whole lanes of EDSA and of course, in doing so, in funneling them back to the yellow lane, there are private vehicles who got stuck in the process,” MMDA EDSA traffic chief Edison Nebrija Jr. said in an interview with CNN Philippines.
Nebrija said the provincial bus ban is in preparation for the narrowing of lanes on EDSA, from 3.4 meters to 2.8 meters for private vehicles.
There will also be a 1.8-meter wide lane designated for motorcycles, while the existing yellow lanes will remain 3.5 meters wide.
Nebrija, however, said the MMDA is unsure if this plan can push through following the court order stopping the ban on provincial buses.
The yellow lane policy prohibits buses to go outside the two lanes designated for them while private vehicles can enter the yellow lane 100 meters before an exit.
The first lane from sidewalk would serve as loading/unloading zone while the second and third lane would be for provincial and P2P buses. Loading and unloading on the second lane will be strictly forbidden.
“We are pleading to the motorists, especially the private vehicles, please avoid the yellow lane. Let us give this lane to the buses so that the ordinary commuter can commute faster,” Garcia said.
Most provincial buses continued to ply EDSA despite the voluntary ban.
In an interview on radio dzMM, Nebrija said 10 provincial bus operators continued to pass along EDSA.
Earlier, Garcia said he was confident that about 15 bus operators would voluntarily join the dry run Wednesday. With PNA
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