The Department of Transportation (DoTr) has intensified efforts to improve the EDSA Busway, focusing on enforcing a 45-second dwell time for buses at stations and enhancing accessibility for persons with disabilities (PWDs).
This comes as Transportation Secretary Vivencio Dizon on Friday announced that 90 percent of station timers, crucial for regulating bus flow, are now operational.
To ensure compliance, enforcers from the Special Action and Intelligence Committee for Transportation (SAICT) have been deployed to both northbound and southbound stations.
“Now that the timers and enforcers are in place, bus drivers should be able to adjust,” Dizon said. “We urge them to follow this rule to ensure the continuous flow of buses along the busway.”
He also stressed the role of the SAICT enforcers, stationed in pairs at each bus stop, in reminding drivers to adhere to the 45-second limit.
“Our enforcers are there to remind drivers that they should leave within 45 seconds. This prevents buses from staying too long at stops and causing traffic buildup,” Dizon said.
The DoTr is also actively working to restore the remaining non-functional timers to achieve full operational capacity, further optimizing the busway’s efficiency.
Beyond regulating bus flow, Dizon highlighted the importance of accessibility, particularly for PWDs. He announced that the steep ramp at Philam Station, previously a source of concern, has been repaired and is now safe for use.
“The steep ramp at Philam Station has been fixed and is now safe to use. The elevator at the station is also being repaired to make commuting more convenient for our PWD passengers,” Dizon said.
Improving the EDSA Busway has been a key priority for Dizon since assuming office late last month. While focusing on immediate station upgrades, he acknowledged that the planned privatization of the busway will be delayed.
The DoTr is set to begin the bidding process for station improvements in May, with contracts expected to be awarded in June. Construction is slated to commence later in the year, with upgrades projected to be completed by February or March 2026.
This timeline postpones the transfer of busway operations to private operators.
“We’re going to start the process of bidding out for the improvement of the stations this year,” Dizon said. “There’s a budget allocated for that, and we will use the model stations of SM North EDSA and SM Megamall and replicate those in all 21 remaining stations.”
The EDSA Busway, established to improve accessibility, safety and reliability for commuters along the EDSA corridor and feeder roads, has been a subject of ongoing development. The DoTr had previously called for a feasibility study on the privatization of the busway system as early as October 2022.
Dizon expressed optimism that bus operators and drivers will cooperate with the new regulations.