‘Mayor’ latest violator of EDSA bus lane

MANILA, Philippines — An alleged mayor from Bulacan province was accused of trying to escape apprehension after he was caught illegally using the EDSA Bus Carousel lane and putting a traffic enforcer at risk. A blue Toyota Hilux pick-up truck with license plate NBT 1001 was seen by an enforcer from the Department of Transportation’s Special Action and Intelligence Committee for Transportation “driving through the Ortigas station busway in the northbound direction” at 4:47 p.m. last Thursday, according to a statement from the DOTr-SAICT.

The enforcer failed to stop the vehicle, but was able to block it at the approach of the EDSA-Ortigas flyover after he boarded a city bus.

When the enforcer asked for the license of the driver of the pick-up truck, the driver yelled that he did not have one and that he knew Metropolitan Manila Development Authority acting Chairman Romando Artes.

When the driver was ordered to show his pick-up truck’s official receipt and certificate of registration, he introduced himself as “Mayor Perez of Bulacan,” the SAICT said.

Video taken by the traffic enforcer showed the motorist trying several times to drive past him. A motorcycle rider helped the enforcer block the vehicle. But the motorist was eventually allowed to drive away amid his “aggressive actions and blatant disregard of authority.”

The SAICT has asked the Land Transportation Office to issue a show-cause order against the sdriver.