MMDA’s new bus traffic scheme postponed

This week’s scheduled implementation of the Metro Manila Development Authority’s (MMDA) Organized Bus Route (OBR) scheme in EDSA will not push through.

Agency officials and bus operators decided to postpone the traffic scheme indefinitely due to some problems.

MMDA Executive Director Angelito Vergel de Dios clarified though that the OBR’s full implementation will only be delayed but not suspended.

"May mga dapat pa talagang plantsahin eh. (There are still a lot of things to be ironed out)," he told The STAR in an interview.

Vergel de Dios said that last Saturday’s meeting with bus operators, which was attended by 50 bus owners and their representatives, was successful as they were able to discuss more concerns such as the illegal vendor problem in Baclaran.

These problems will have to be addressed first before the OBR scheme can be implemented, he said.

MMDA General Manager Robert Nacianceno said meetings with concerned local government officials will also be held to tackle the Baclaran problem.

MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando earlier announced that full implementation of the new bus scheme will start this week.

The OBR is expected to solve much of EDSA’s traffic problems by controlling the number of buses plying the 24-kilometer superhighway.

Around 3,000 buses use EDSA everyday, causing massive traffic jams. The OBR system will dispatch passenger buses commensurate with the public’s need at different hours. Lesser buses will mean less traffic and less fuel consumption with higher load factor.

Fernando said the postponement of the implementation of the OBR scheme was not triggered by opposition from drivers and operators since they have agreed that the scheme will solve EDSA’s traffic problems.

Some are skeptical though but are not blocking the idea to give Fernando a chance to prove that his idea will work.

The MMDA is expected to set more meetings with bus operators and owners in the next few days to discuss matters related to the new traffic scheme.