The Department of Transportation (DOTr) expects to complete a feasibility study for a new busway system next year, Secretary Vince Dizon said over the weekend.
The project, which will connect España and Quezon Avenue, aims to replicate the success of the EDSA Bus Carousel by providing a dedicated bus lane for commuters in Manila and Quezon City.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will fund the study, Dizon said.
Dizon and Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman inspected the SM North and North Ave. stations of the EDSA Busway last week.
The inspection followed a presidential order for a “commuter-centric” transport system and the modernization of the EDSA Busway.
The renovation of the EDSA Busway stations will begin this year, with a focus on making them more comfortable and convenient for the 250,000 daily commuters. Dizon said all stations would be modeled after the SM North Station.
“We are done being car-centric when it comes to transport infrastructure. We need to be commuter-centric,” Dizon said, echoing the president’s statement.
The EDSA Busway project, a flagship initiative of the DOTr, is supported by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA).
It aims to improve mass transit efficiency, safety and accessibility along EDSA, Metro Manila’s main thoroughfare.
