MMDA, HPG to apprehend private motorists on EDSA’s bus lanes

MANILA, Philippines - Starting on Monday (January 18), private motorists who will be caught lingering on the southbound bus lane (yellow lane) between Shaw Boulevard and Guadalupe on EDSA, will be apprehended and issued traffic violation tickets by officers of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the Highway Patrol Group (HPG).

Secretary to the Cabinet and traffic czar Jose Rene Almendras, who also chairs the EDSA Traffic Technical Working Group (TWG) said the move is part of a plan to speed-up vehicular traffic between Shaw Boulevard and Guadalupe.

“Until we build more bridges across the Pasig River and more roads, EDSA-Guadalupe is the main chokepoint,” he said.

“We will be imposing a stricter enforcement and traffic management from Shaw Boulevard to Guadalupe on January 18. We call the attention of private vehicles to get out of the yellow lane, unless they will turn right. If they will not cooperate, we will issue tickets,” added Almendras.

The MMDA was ordered by the TWG to finish installing plastic barriers that will serve as delineators for the southbound bus lane on EDSA between Shaw Boulevard and Guadalupe by January 15.

“We are fixing the delineators first. That will be finished on the 15th.  We will then put more people from the HPG and MMDA from Shaw Boulevard to the Guadalupe yellow lane. We will impose that private vehicles stay in their area and buses stay in their area. When we clear that, the buses will move faster,” said Almendras.

Meanwhile, aside from the strict implementation of the yellow lane rule, the TWG is also looking at the possibility of designating a car pool lane on EDSA to allow vehicles with more occupants to move faster.

Almendras said should buses on the yellow lane move faster as private cars are discouraged from lingering on them, high-occupancy private vehicles could be allowed to use the yellow lane as a car pool lane.

“We want to encourage higher occupancy vehicles. So if you want to drive your car alone, we are not going to stop you from doing that.  But vehicles with more occupants will move faster than vehicles with less occupants. That is the next step,” he said.

“We will put higher occupancy vehicle lanes. If there will be space on the bus lane, we will allow high occupancy vehicles on the bus lanes. But we will have to calibrate the bus lanes. It would depend on how the utilization works out,” Almendras added.