MANILA, Philippines — There will be no letup in the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority’s (MMDA) strict implementation of the yellow bus lane policy, an official said yesterday.
“It’s not just about moving people, it’s moving them responsibly and safely,” MMDA traffic czar Bong Nebrija said in a Facebook post.
Nebrija said city buses should be contained in the yellow lanes to prevent them from taking over EDSA. He said bus drivers will just race each other and pick passengers along the way.
“The yellow lane is a way to put order on EDSA because if not, every day would be like these. Is this what we really want?” Nebrija said.
In an interview, Nebrija expressed frustration over the agency’s policies being stalled by court injunctions and opposed by lawmakers.
He cited the provincial bus ban that was halted by an injunction secured by bus operators from the Quezon City regional trial court and senators opposing a proposed ban on single-occupancy vehicles.
Nebrija said the MMDA’s strict implementation of the bus lane is an existing policy and not in response to the court order on the provincial bus ban.
“In the absence of any policy, we will just implement whatever we have,” he said.
Nebrija brushed off critics for always blaming the MMDA for just doing its job in putting order on EDSA.
The MMDA strictly implemented the yellow lane policy and wants to fence off bus lanes on EDSA to prevent drivers from speeding and taking over other lanes, but the long line of buses stuck in traffic along the yellow lane prompted commuters to walk along EDSA.
“We are being bashed because we could not discipline the bus drivers, and now that we are doing that, they’re complaining again. Where will be put ourselves in this dilemma?” Nebrija said, calling unfair accusations that the MMDA is “anti-commuter.”