EDSA bus ban: Test run slated

The dry run of the provincial bus ban along EDSA has been moved to 4 a.m. of Aug. 7, Metro Manila Development Authority general manager Jojo Garcia said.

Garcia said bus operators have given their commitment to comply with the dry run of the bus ban following a meeting with officials of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.

“All of them will participate even without the full enforcement of the ban,” he said.

He said the dry run, which will give buses window hours from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. to ply along EDSA, will allow the government to identify loopholes in its implementation.

During the window hours, provincial buses can only load and unload passengers on common terminals along EDSA.

“There will be no penalties during the dry run,” Garcia added.

As this developed, a lawmaker has asked the Supreme Court to act swiftly on his motion to issue a temporary restraining order against the bus ban days ahead of the dry run.

“At least 95 percent of our commuters take the bus—that is the cheapest mode of transportation to Manila,” AKO Bicol Party-list Rep. Alfredo Garbin Jr. said in a television interview.

“The bus ban will really affect 95 percent of our population who are poor and have no other cheap alternative to taking the bus,” he added.

Garbin filed the urgent motion before the High Court on Tuesday.

“If you want to really address traffic along EDSA, the government should target colorum vehicles and illegal terminals,” he said.

The LTFRB earlier amended the certificate of public convenience of all provincial buses with terminals along EDSA within the National Capital Region.

Under Memorandum Circular 2019-031, all provincial buses from the north, whose terminals are located on Edsa, shall temporarily stop at the Valenzuela City interim terminal.

On the other hand, those coming from South Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao whose terminals can be found in Cubao, Quezon City must end their trip at the Sta. Rosa, Laguna interim terminal to load and unload passengers.

Provincial buses with terminals along EDSA in Pasay City shall drop off passengers at the Parañaque City integrated terminal exchange, the LTFRB said.

“The routes of all city buses are also deemed provisionally amended, extending their endpoint in the North to Valenzuela interim terminal and at Sta. Rosa interim terminal and Parañaque integrated terminal exchange in the South,” the memorandum circular read.