MMDA: Provincial buses ok to use EDSA, for now

Don't be surprised to see more and more provincial buses traveling along EDSA. The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority has announced that provincial buses are once again allowed to traverse EDSA.

In a recent statement, the agency said that the move is based on the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) Resolution 101. This details the uniform travel protocols amidst the pandemic.

Under the resolution, buses from Metro Manila bound for the provinces must use the integrated terminal exchanges as hubs for transportation. This includes the Paranaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX). Currently, commuters take provincial buses that stop at designated terminals. They then switch to the EDSA Carousel buses.

“The Department of Transportation and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board gave the green light to allow provincial buses to ply EDSA starting 10 p.m. tonight up to 5 a.m”, said MMDA Chairman Romando Artes in a press statement yesterday.

With the two-week dry-run of the provincial buses now happening, commuters who wish to travel to the provinces now have an easier time getting to their destinations. Hopefully, this will not affect the flow of traffic along EDSA which has been experiencing an uptick of vehicles ever since Metro Manila reverted to Alert Level 1.