EDSA busway ridership hits over 66 million in 2025

MANILA, Philippines — Commuters looking for a faster way to traverse EDSA rode carousel buses in 2025, increasing the busway ridership to a new high of nearly 67 million.

Based on records from the Department of Transportation (DOTr), the EDSA busway ridership jumped by six percent to 66.67 million last year from 63.02 million in 2024.

The figure translates to a daily ridership of close to 183,000, showing how the infrastructure that used to be a pandemic response has become crucial to metro transit.

During the Christmas season, the EDSA busway posted 6.53 million ridership in December alone.

The busway also recorded a single-day peak of 321,186 passengers in April 2025.

The EDSA carousel has served 341.31 million commuters since June 2020, when it was first opened.

The DOTr designated the leftmost lane of EDSA for carousel and point-to-point buses to encourage Filipinos to commute and minimize private cars to ease traffic congestion.

Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said the DOTr is putting up additional stations to improve convenience and mobility along the busway.

The DOTr recently awarded a P251.06-million contract to build new busway stations on EDSA to Tacloban-based company Unimasters Conglomeration Inc.

The busway stops will be located in Cubao, Magallanes and Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX).

Unimasters is known for redeveloping the Sangley Point Airport during the Duterte administration.

The company will be given a year to complete the project, with construction scheduled to begin in the first quarter of the year.

Unimasters is also putting up the new Kamuning station through a joint venture with Dragonhart Construction Enterprise Inc.

The project includes the construction of a new Kamuning footbridge to replace the old one, which was infamous for its challenging height and steep climb.

Last week, the Department of Public Works and Highways finished the rehabilitation of the Roxas Boulevard to Orense segment of the busway.

The 28-kilometer busway spans Monumento in Caloocan City to PITX in Parañaque, making it one of the most important public transport modes in Metro Manila. — Christine Boton, Ghio Ong