MMDA to hold dry run of EDSA bus ban

MANILA, Philippines — Beginning tomorrow, all provincial buses will no longer be allowed to drop off and pick up commuters on EDSA as part of the dry run for the provincial bus ban of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), an official said yesterday.

Jojo Garcia, MMDA general manager, said while there will be no apprehensions during the dry run, they will “strictly implement and enforce” the rule prohibiting provincial buses from loading and unloading commuters on EDSA. 

“Their franchise is point-to-point, which means when they enter Metro Manila they should go straight to their terminals. Beginning April 22, they can no longer drop off or pick up along EDSA,” he said.

Garcia said the MMDA will also hold the dry run for the use of the provincial buses’ interim bus terminals in Valenzuela City and in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

He said the MMDA is targeting to close down all bus terminals on EDSA by June this year, which means that local government officials in Metro Manila will stop issuing business permits to terminal operators by next month. 

He said they will ask all Metro Manila mayors to impose the resolution prohibiting or revoking the issuance of business permits to all public utility bus terminals and operators on EDSA. 

In another development, the MMDA is expecting traffic conditions to return to normal today after some commuters and motorists opted to return to Metro Manila on Friday night and yesterday morning.

“We’re not expecting that much (traffic) because some people returned to Metro Manila yesterday afternoon while some are due to return today,” MMDA’s traffic czar Bong Nebrija said.

The MMDA will employ a sufficient number of traffic enforcers to ensure the smooth flow of traffic as he emphasized that a “no day off, no absent” policy will be implemented from 5 a.m. today to 5 a.m. tomorrow.