MANILA, Philippines — An infrastructure project said to give EDSA, the busiest major thoroughfare in Metro Manila, a needed commuter-friendly facelift broke ground earlier this week.
The Department of Transportation teased the EDSA Busway Concourse, a system of bridges and walkways, as a "world-class and state-of-the-art" structure that aims to provide convenient transport access for commuters and pedestrians.
"Commuters will be safer when boarding and alighting of commuters on buses. Taking transportation will be more convenient as we get ticket booths, concierge and turnstiles for automatic fare collection," Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said in Filipino at the groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday, May 18.
Senior citizens, persons with disabilities and pregnant women will also find the concourse and its system more accessible.
SM Group, which invested P120 million in the project targeted for completion in 10 months, will start construction of three concourses near its most visited malls at SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City, SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City and SM North EDSA in Quezon City.
The concourses are an addition to the EDSA Busway, a bus rapid transit system, launched in June last year.
Businessman Eduardo Yap, a busway advocate who conceptualized the project, said the busway eased traffic on the notoriously congested avenue. "Unlike before, public buses no longer contribute to congestion in the private vehicle lanes," he said in an address at the virtual ceremony.
Yap is confident that with the concourse, the commuting experience will be simpler while public infrastructure "blends functionality with aesthetics and 'green' principles."
He also mentioned, however, that the concourse, once completed, will increase the number of buses plying along EDSA from 200 to 500.
“These reforms provide for a framework for sustainable management of urban traffic congestion and people mobility,” Yap said.