300 buses to ply EDSA next week

MANILA, Philippines — Only around 300 buses will initially be allowed to ply EDSA once Metro Manila is put under general community quarantine starting on June 1, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said yesterday.

These buses will be deployed to augment the limited capacity of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 have specific pickup and dropoff points along the route of the MRT-3, he said.

Año said that the Department of Transportation (DOTr) will gradually allow more buses to ply EDSA.

Under the first phase of the GCQ, from June 1 to June 21, the DOTr will allow only trains, point-to-point buses, taxis, transport network vehicle units and bicycles in Metro Manila.

In the second phase, only then will other buses, modern jeepneys and UV Express units be allowed to operate.

‘New bus stations safe’

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) yesterday assured commuters that bus stations attached to the MRT would be safe.

MMDA spokesperson Celine Pialago said in a radio interview that center islands along EDSA would be replaced with bus lanes and bus stations attached to stairs leading to the MRT-3 and Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) stations.

Passengers boarding the buses should enter LRT-1 or MRT-3 stations and go down what used to be emergency stairs to board the buses, he said.