Bus lane violators fined

DRIVERS of passenger buses and private vehicles stick to their designated lanes in Guadalupe, Makati City, to avoid being slapped fines ranging from P200 to P500. NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

A TOTAL of 10 private vehicles and one passenger bus were apprehended on Monday as authorities began strictly enforcing the yellow lane policy on a portion of Edsa to improve traffic flow.

The good news, however, is that the policy—which makes the yellow lane exclusive to buses initially in the portion of Edsa’s southbound lane from Shaw Boulevard to Guadalupe—reduced travel time for passenger buses by around 30 minutes.

According to Rey Arada, head of the Edsa Special Traffic and Transport Zone (STTZ) of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), there was a noticeable easing in traffic congestion in the area during the morning rush hour.

“Since the buses were moving faster, I think we were able to attain our objective [of moving] more people faster using public transportation,” he said, adding that traffic flow in the lanes for private vehicles also improved.

For his part, Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG) director Chief Supt. Arnold Gunnacao also observed an improvement in the movement of buses in the area, even all the way to Ayala Avenue in Makati City.

As a result, travel time on the southbound lane was reduced by around 30 minutes, he said.

“Those who complained of the [policy’s] enforcement were private drivers who wanted to use the bus lanes,” Gunnacao added.

A joint team from the PNP-HPG and MMDA enforced the yellow lane policy starting at 6 a.m. Monday. Arada said the MMDA deployed 31 personnel between Shaw and Guadalupe.

He added that they were able to apprehend 10 private vehicles using the yellow lanes and one passenger bus which went out of its designated lane and used the one reserved for private vehicles.

Arada said the drivers of the private vehicles were fined P500 each while the driver of the Lippad Transport bus was fined P200.

According to the MMDA official, some motorists were just given a warning after they were caught using the bus lanes. But those who refused to heed the enforcers despite the initial warning ended up being slapped with a fine.

Gunnacao said they would conduct an assessment on the policy’s effect to determine if there was a need to implement it in other parts of Edsa.

Cabinet Secretary Jose Rene Almendras, head of the Edsa traffic technical working group, earlier stressed the need to strictly implement the use of the yellow lanes from Shaw to Guadalupe since this was the “most problematic” area on the busy thoroughfare during the morning rush hour.

Under MMDA Memorandum Circular No. 08 Series of 2012, private vehicles are not allowed to use yellow or bus lanes unless they are turning right into a side street from Edsa or entering Edsa from a side street. –Maricar B. Brizuela