If there’s one major improvement on EDSA in many years, it’s the Bus Carousel, more commonly known as the EDSA Busway. This exclusive lane is dedicated solely to buses, allowing commuters to travel faster and more efficiently along the country’s busiest thoroughfare.

Recently, MMDA General Manager, Ret. PNP Gen. Nicolas Torre III proposed allowing high-occupancy vehicles or carpools to use the busway in an effort to ease traffic congestion. However, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) has firmly rejected the idea, emphasizing that the busway was designed to prioritize buses and move more people and not more cars.

“We appreciate the efforts of MMDA General Manager Nicolas Torre III to look for solutions to traffic congestion in the Metro, but the President’s directives are clear: government transport policy must be commuter-focused and pro–mass transit, not car-centric,” said Transportation Secretary, Giovanni “Banoy” Lopez.

DOTr also adds that any attempt to open the busway to private cars, even under the guise of a carpooling scheme, risks crippling bus operations and defeating the lane’s very purpose.

The agency also made it clear that it stands with commuters in affirming that the EDSA Busway is an effective program that benefits the majority, providing faster and more efficient travel along Metro Manila’s busiest thoroughfare. For this reason, the busway should remain exclusive to buses and their passengers.

At the same time, the DOTr said that it remains open to dialogue with MMDA General Manager Ret. PNP Gen. Nicolas Torre III, other government agencies, and civil society groups to explore innovative, well-planned, and holistic solutions to Metro Manila’s traffic challenges.