The Department of Transportation said it will add 90 bus units in the EDSA Busway System that can ferry more MRT-3 passengers starting July 29 this year.
The agency said the 90 buses under the MRT-3 Bus Augmentation Program will be added to the 194 buses which are currently deployed for the EDSA Busway service, carrying passengers between Monumento and the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITx).
From the fixed rate of P25, the base fare will now be P13 for the first five kilometers and P2.2 will be added for the succeeding kilometers.
In addition to the bus stops at the curbside from Monumento to North Avenue and Buendia to PITX, the EDSA Busway service will continue to load and unload passengers in bus stops near MRT-3 stations.
For northbound commuters, the loading stations are Taft Avenue and Ayala station, while the unloading stations will be in Ayala, Guadalupe, Ortigas, Quezon Avenue and North Avenue.
For southbound, the loading stations are North Avenue and Quezon Avenue, while the land stations will be in Ortigas, Guadalupe, Ayala and Taft Avenue.
With the EDSA Busway, travel time from Monumento, Caloocan to PITX from the usual 2 to 3 hours is expected to be reduced to only 45 minutes to an hour.
In order to ensure the welfare of the passengers, health and safety protocols are to be strictly implemented such as temperature checking, social distancing inside the trains and wearing of face mask.
The EDSA Busway System is a program of DOTr and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, with the assistance of Metro Manila Development Authority and Department of Public Works and Highways.
