Edsa express bus service gets share of raves, doubts

EDSA Express bus. Photo from LTO website

It’s a relief for commuters but seems to be an added burden to bus drivers and conductors.

The pilot run of the government’s “Express Bus Service” along Edsa rolled out on Monday, March 23, to encourage car owners to leave their private vehicles at home and take public transportation.

The Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) have said that the project is aimed at easing traffic by reducing the number of private cars along the busiest thoroughfare in the metro and reducing the travel time of commuters.

The express buses, which operate from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., run on three routes: Route E1 (Fairview-Ortigas Avenue/Gil Puyat Avenue LRT station with 20 bus units), Route E2 (Fairview-Ayala Avenue/Gil Puyat Avenue LRT station with 10 bus units), and Route E3 (Fairview-Ayala Avenue MRT station-SM Mall of Asia with 20 bus units).

Not your typical ride

On Thursday, March 25, Jorge Bacani, took the express bus at the MMDA dispatch terminal in Fairview, Quezon City.

Bacani, who works in Ayala Avenue, Makati, rode the bus at 10:25 a.m.

The 30-year-old IT expert said he was interested to find out whether the bus would indeed shorten his travel time.

READ: Edsa ‘express buses’ WiFi-ready, exempt from coding

“I really want to try. Usually my travel time going to Makati takes two-and-a-half hours to three hours,”

According to Adencio Romulo, MMDA supervisor at the dispatch terminal in Fairview, the bus express guarantees a “faster bus service” to commuters like Bacani.

Romulo said the fares for the express buses are the same as those charged by air conditioned buses.

This is good news for Bacani who wants a convenient and a non-stop ride along Edsa.

“Maayos naman ito (this is all right),” he said, adding that he could use more of his time into productive matters rather than be wasted on the road.

At 11:37 a.m., Bacani arrived in Ayala Avenue, a ride which lasted a little over an hour compared to his usual three-hour commute from Fairview.

Alternative Solution

Bacani said the bus express is a good alternative solution to commuters like him.

Asked why he would prefer this than the Metro Rail Transit (MRT-3), he said riding the MRT is tiring and could consume a lot of his time.

“Nakakapagod sumakay sa MRT dahil sa siksikan, pipila ka ng almost an hour tapos pagdating sa work pagod ka na,” he said.

(Riding the MRT is strenuous because of the packed crowd and the long lines.)

Inside the bus express, he said he felt relaxed since the bus does not overload and let passengers to stand unlike the common scenarios in regular buses during the rush hour.

Bacani was with 11 other passengers during his trip.

But while it was indeed convenient for him, the driver and conductor of the bus were alarmed.

Drivers and conductors’ dilemma
Gian Perez, conductor of the bus where Bacani rode, was worried with the turnout of their passengers.

READ: ‘Express Connect’ buses off to slow start due to lack of passengers

“Konti lang ‘yung pasahero namin. Kokonti lang din ang kikitain namin,” the 28-year old Perez said.