Edsa ban on provincial buses expected to be rescheduled again

MMDA traffic constables can forget about going on leave as it’s all hands on deck in the four days leading to Christmas Day. —RAFFY LERMA

In the absence of clear guidelines and the pending completion of the Valenzuela Interim Terminal, the implementation of provincial bus ban is expected to be rescheduled again.

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority OIC General Manager Jojo Garcia said on Tuesday that the agency was “not in a hurry” to impose the policy on the provincial buses traversing along Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue (Edsa).

“We have to fix some facilities and other infrastructure at the Valenzuela Interim Terminal,” Garcia said shortly after the meeting.

“We are not in a hurry to implement the policy as we want to make sure everything is in order,” Garcia added.

Under the proposed plan, provincial buses coming from the north section of Edsa should end their trips at the Valenzuela Interim Terminal.

Meanwhile, provincial buses coming from the south section would end at the South Interim Provincial Terminal.

Garcia also predicted a faster turn-around of provincial buses once the regulation is enforced.

The partial and temporary ban on provincial buses traveling across Edsa supposedly set to be implemented by August 15.

If moved, this would be the third time that the agency rescheduled the implementation of the ban on provincial buses.

The partial and temporary ban on provincial buses was originally set on July 15 but was reset on August 1.

READ: Start of partial Edsa ban on provincial buses reset to Aug. 1

The MMDA once again moved the implementation on August 15 since the agency was still coordinating with the Land Transportation, Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) on the modification of routes. /vvp