Starting tomorrow, August 15, 2018, the MMDA will be implementing the High Occupancy Vehicle (or HOV) policy along EDSA; albeit just a dry-run. When the agency announced it last week, they had yet to release the implementing rules and regulations for the 'traffic-mitigating measure', but today, it's much clearer as they have shared it to the public.

Dubbed MMDA Regulation No. 18-005, it is titled as 'Establishing the expanded High Occupancy Vehicle Lanes in EDSA'. There, they defined the minimum number of occupants, defined rush hour times, time of implementation and duration of the dry run.

In their memo, it is stated that all lanes of EDSA are indeed the HOV or carpool lanes. The carpool lanes stretch from Balintawak, Quezon City, all the way to Magallanes, Makati City and vice versa. Motorists who want to travel along the busy thoroughfare must have at least one passenger on board for a minimum of two occupants (including the driver).

If you are traveling alone in your vehicle, you are not allowed to drive along EDSA from 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM in both northbound and southbound lanes. Towards the evening, single-occupant vehicles are not allowed to travel along the said road from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM. However, they did mention that single-occupant motorists are allowed to cross intersections which go through EDSA, provided that they don't merge on to the main road.

The policy will be in effect from Monday to Friday and a fine of Php 1,000 will be imposed upon violators of the regulation. As mentioned the new ruling's dry run will start tomorrow, August 15 until August 22. Per the memo, full implementation will begin Wednesday next week, the 23rd of August.