'New EDSA scheme to reduce traffic congestion'

MANILA, Philippines - The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) expects to reduce traffic congestion along EDSA by some 20 percent with the implementation of the bus segregation scheme.

MMDA Assistant General Manager for Operations Emerson Carlos said there is now observed decongestion between bus stops where buses, prior to the scheme’s implementation, would queue-up for passengers.

Under the scheme that was implemented on Tuesday, buses would only stop at designated bus stops according to their classification. Some 3,100 passenger buses plying EDSA are affected by the scheme.

“The scheme also helped us weed-out the colorum (unregistered) buses as they are not qualified to be given the identification stickers,” said Carlos.

Under the scheme, a bus is tagged based on its sticker either as bus “A,” bus “B” or bus “C.”

The scheme covers all bus stops along EDSA from Magallanes to East Avenue and vice-versa.

Under the plan, buses “A” and “B” can only use their designated A and B bus stops respectively. Meanwhile, “C” buses will be allowed to use all bus stops.

Buses with the “A” sticker will stop at the following loading and unloading bays: (Northbound) Magallanes, Buendia, Guadalupe, Shaw Blvd., SM Megamall, Boni Serrano, Cubao Farmers, and Ermin Garcia.

(Southbound) Ermin Garcia, Arayat Cubao, VV Soliven, Connecticut, Shaw Starmall, Guadalupe, Buendia Ave., and Mantrade. Bus A stops are painted red.

Buses with “B” stickers meanwhile will stop at the following: (Northbound) Ayala Ave., Estrella, Pioneer / Boni, SM Megamall, Ortigas Ave., Main Ave., and Baliwag / 5 Star.

(Southbound) Kamuning, Monte de Piedad, Main Ave., POEA Ortigas, Pioneer / Boni, Estrella, and Ayala Ave. These stops are painted blue.

MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino said southbound “A” buses are allowed to take the Kamuning-Timog, Santolan, and Ortigas flyovers. Northbound “B” buses are allowed to take the Santolan flyover, while “A” buses can take the Ortigas and Timog-Kamuning flyover.

"We are optimistic that this enhanced bus segregation system will decongest Edsa significantly," Tolentino said.

Tolentino added that MMDA dispatchers have already been instructed to prevent buses without stickers to leave the four Organized Bus Route (OBR) terminals.

On Tuesday, the MMDA nabbed at least 57 buses for violating the bus segregation plan.

The MMDA apprehended nine buses for travelling without their stickers while 48 buses were issued tickets for loading and unloading passengers outside their designated bus stops.

“It is good to see that many buses are complying with the scheme. We expect initial confusion to happen but traffic along EDSA is now moving,” said Carlos.

As of 2 p.m. Wednesday, the MMDA nabbed eight buses for plying EDSA without their stickers and 25 buses for picking-up and unloading passengers on non-designated bus stops. The MMDA also issued tickets Wednesday to 19 buses that were caught using EDSA’s underpasses.