Concrete blocks to separate Commonwealth bus lanes

MANILA, Philippines - Barring any hitches in the construction schedule, passenger buses traveling along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City will be separated by a long line of concrete blocks that would keep them in their designated lane and away from other vehicles this coming May.

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Francis Tolentino said yesterday the Department of Public Works and Highways has already started constructing the barrier along the entire length of the 12.4-kilometer highway.

He said the use of concrete barriers to keep buses from merging with other vehicles on the highway is similar to the system being used by Jakarta’s TransJakarta express bus system.

“The separators are being constructed along Commonwealth. They will be finished in May or June. They will be confined to their lane,” he said.

Under the MMDA’s proposed adaptation of the Jakarta bus system, buses along Commonwealth Avenue can only stop at designated elevated terminals or bus stops, similar to the ones now being used in Jakarta.

The MMDA will have bus firms remove the first step of the “estribo” or running board of their units. By removing this step, the MMDA said passengers can only board and alight the bus on the designated elevated stops or terminals as the second step would then be of the same height as the platform of the elevated stop.