Dismantling EDSA busway is an ill-advised — MAP

The Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) on Sunday criticized the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) for planning to demolish the EDSA Busway once the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) system reaches full capacity and is unified.

On Tuesday, MMDA Chairman Romando Artes said the removal of the EDSA Carousel was among the recommendations made during a meeting with President Marcos on the Comprehensive Traffic Management Plan at Malacañang.

“Any talk of possible dismantling of the EDSA Carousel Line at this stage would be ill-advised. It will be going against the National Transport Policy of 2017 where public transportation is given priority as a mobility solution, mandating the DOTr and DPWH to implement and regulate it,” a statement of MAP, signed by its president Alfredo Panlilio and MAP transportation and infrastructure committee chairman Eduardo Yap, said.

According to the business group officials, what needs to be done is to revitalize and fully utilize the existing Mabuhay Lanes for motorcycles, and more so because they travel "point to point."

“The MMDA should focus on this as a priority measure to decongest traffic on EDSA. The Mabuhay Lanes should be cleared of all traffic obstruction and illegal parking, rather than contemplating the dismantling of the EDSA Carousel Line. Any additional lane on EDSA given for private vehicles will be useless as it will soon be filled up by traffic, per our experience. And other measures, such as congestion fee charges, have not even been explained to motorists and much less tested,” according to the MAP statement.

Unrealistic

MMDA Chairman Artes further said that there was also a move for the bus lane along EDSA to be used by high-occupancy vehicles, stating that “If there are three or four of you in a car, you may use the special lane,” along with proposals that they are mulling collecting fees from private vehicles using EDSA.

“To think that a private vehicle with high occupancy on the Busway can outload a bus in terms of occupancy is simply unrealistic. The MRT3's design capacity is just 350,000 passengers and adding a coach or bagon to it will overload its superstructure and trackway. Besides, there is no space on the platform for the coach extension,” the MAP said in contrast.

"The EDSA Busway remains the most efficient public transit system in Metro Manila,” the MAP officials further said, quoting Transport Secretary Jaime Bautista.

MAP stressed that the efficiency of the EDSA Busway has been well-proven during the last three years of its existence despite its incompleteness.

The privatization of the EDSA Carousel Line is in the last stage of preparation for its public bidding per funding of the PPP Center and the World Bank. Bidding is expected in the 2nd quarter of this year.

“The MAP cautions the government by speaking with one voice on this vital public transportation project,” the group noted.

However, DoTr Secretary Bautista on Saturday already denied that the Busway will be dismantled, and was quoted in a radio interview that: “We are not removing the EDSA busway. That was raised as part of the discussion, but it will be kept as is.”