Four senators call for immediate suspension of ban on solo drivers on Edsa

Traffic congestion along Edsa —INQUIRER PHOTO/RICHARD A. REYES

Senate leaders on Wednesday filed a resolution urging the immediate suspension and recall of the ban on solo drivers traversing Edsa during rush hours.

Senate Resolution  No. 845   was filed by Senate President  Vicente “Tito” Sotto  III, Senate  President  Pro Tempore Ralph Recto,  Majority Leader Juan  Miguel Zubiri, and Minority Leader Franklin Drilon.

The filing of the resolution coincided with the start of the dry-run of the ban being implemented by the Metropolitan  Manila Development Authority (MMDA).

In the resolution, the senators  “strongly” urged the Metro Manila Council to recall an MMDA regulation that established the Expanded   High Occupancy Vehicle  Lanes on Edsa .

The resolution strongly urged the MMDA to suspend immediately the implementation of the ban.

The Council and the MMDA, they said, should first conduct public consultations and further study before implementing the “driver-only” ban on Edsa.

The measure further noted that the Council issued the regulation without public consultations and hearings.

“The implementation of a regulation that would allegedly affect  70 percent of the road-users tax-paying  motorists plying the Philippines’ major thoroughfare without holding a prior public consultation or hearing is violative of the due process of laws enshrined and protected under the  Constitution,” the resolution read.  /vvp – By: Maila Ager