The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has started making improvements to the controversial ramp at the Philam Station of the EDSA Busway.
MMDA Chairman Romando Artes said they are also considering adding an inclined wheelchair platform to the elevated ramp as a potential solution.
“We will consult with architectural firms, present the plan, and start the necessary improvements on the ramp in the EDSA-Philam station. Improvements will have no additional cost to the government,” Artes said.
The MMDA had received criticism from the public, particularly from netizens, due to reports of the steep ramp connected to a footbridge, which posed challenges for persons with disabilities and wheelchair users.
Sen. Grace Poe also urged the MMDA to promptly address the ramp issue, emphasizing that it posed a safety risk to the very people it was meant to assist.
The MMDA explained they had adhered to the height restriction of the Metro Rail Transit (MRT), making it difficult to align the elevator with the footbridge.
The agency said the ramp, while not ideally designed for wheelchair users, still provided substantial benefits to senior citizens, pregnant women, and other persons with disabilities by offering an alternative to using the stairs.
In its official social media page, the MMDA assured the public they would assign personnel to assist persons with disabilities who were having difficulty accessing the ramp.
It also emphasized that the ramp, contrary to how it appeared in viral photos, was “not that steep.”
According to the agency, the ramp was necessary due to limited space, and without it, the elevator could not have been incorporated into the structure to accommodate commuters using the busway station.
