Heightened EDSA Busway operations catch 10 violators in Santolan

The Department of Transportation deployed officers from its Special Action and Intelligence Committee for Transportation (SAICT) at the Santolan Bus Station this Monday morning in its efforts to enforce stricter measures on EDSA busway usage.

Officials from the DOTr-SAICT caught a total of 10 motorists traversing the busway, two of which were ambulances that were not actively tending to emergency situations.

Rayson Dela Torre, the head of operations for the taskforce, stressed that only vehicles that are either authorized or used for emergency response may use the lane.

“Yung pong mga ambulansya na nakikita natin na dumadaan dito sa loob ng EDSA Busway, hinaharang na rin po natin at tinitingnan natin kung may kaukulang dokumento o trip ticket ‘yung kanilang pagbiyahe, at tinitingnan din natin ‘yung sitwasyon nung kani-kanilang pasyente,” he explained.

Last February 12, a transport vehicle that was disguised as an ambulance was caught by authorities after it was supposedly used to transport patients from Cavite to hospitals in Metro Manila.

Dela Torre expressed that the agency had seen an increase in emergency vehicles using the busway as a means to escape traffic along EDSA rather than for its intended purpose.

He also wanted to set the record straight that using vehicles such as ambulances for transport is not considered an emergency.

“Hindi po natin tatanggapin na rason ‘yung magpapa-check-up ‘yung pasahero sapagkat ‘yun naman po ay naka-schedule na doon sa kanilang mga ospital na pupuntahan,” he stated.

In a statement on his social media profile on Thursday, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping" Lacson urged authorities to carry out more operations to catch more ambulances misusing the busway.

"More random checks on siren-blaring 'ambulances' especially during rush hours should be conducted. Drivers of vehicles with no emergency patients must be apprehended, their licenses revoked and charged, if warranted. Aside from (being) annoying, they can be traffic hazards," his post read.

Under the Land Transportation Office (LTO), fines for vehicles found to be illegally traversing the busway range from P5,000 to P30,000 and may even include a suspension of license depending on the number of offenses.