MMDA: Senator, congressman among EDSA busway violators

MANILA, Philippines — Drivers of vehicles with protocol plate numbers “7” for senators and “8” for congressmen were among the 30 motorists who illegally entered the EDSA bus lane yesterday, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said.

The owners of the vehicles were not identified. MMDA Special Operations Group Strike Force chief Gabriel Go told The STAR that identification “is outside our mandate unless they are involved in road accidents.”

A sport utility vehicle (SUV) bearing protocol plate “7” with “19th Congress” and “R2” entered the bus lane along the EDSA-Ortigas area yesterday morning, the MMDA said.

The unidentified SUV driver surrendered his driver’s license and accepted the citation ticket issued by a traffic enforcer, according to Go.

The MMDA said the protocol plate “8” belonged to a black SUV whose driver also accepted the violation ticket.

From 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. yesterday, MMDA enforcers apprehended along the busway 30 motorists, including a basketball player, members of the Philippine National Police and those driving government marked vehicles from the Department of National Defense and Philippine Marine Corps.

Traffic enforcers could not determine if the erring motorists were repeat offenders as the MMDA personnel were using manual citation tickets, Go said.

Motorists who violate the EDSA bus lane policy will pay hefty fines: P5,000 on first offense; P10,000, one month suspension of driver’s license and mandatory attendance in a road safety seminar on second offense; P20,000 and suspension of driver’s license for a year on third offense, and P30,000 and possible revocation of driver’s license on succeeding offenses.

Buses, ambulances, fire trucks, police vehicles as well as the convoys of the President, Vice President, Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives and Chief Justice are authorized to use the EDSA busway.