DOTr opposes carpool proposal on EDSA busway
The Department of Transportation rejected the idea of carpooling on the EDSA busway.
In a statement shared on its Facebook page on Thursday, Jan. 29, Acting Transportation Secretary Banoy Lopez noted that the busway "was designed primarily to move more people—not more cars—by providing fast and uninterrupted service to buses carrying up to 300,000 passengers daily."
"Any move to open this lane to private vehicles, even under the guise of carpooling, will inevitably slow down bus operations and defeat the very purpose for which the busway was created," he said.
Lopez expressed appreciation for MMDA General Manager Nicolas Torre III's efforts to ease traffic in the metro, but also stressed the President's "clear directives" that government transport policy "must be commuter-focused and pro–mass transit, not car-centric."
"Kaisa namin ang mga commuters sa pagpapatotoo na mabisang programa ang EDSA Busway para sa mas nakararami. Sapat na dahilan ito para manatiling eksklusibo ang EDSA Busway para lamang sa mga bus at mga komyuter," he said.
"The DOTr is always open for a dialogue with GM Torre, other agencies, and civil society organizations to create more innovative, well-thought of and holistic solutions to traffic problems," he concluded.
Transport advocacy group says carpool plan would only 'weaken the public transport system'
For transport advocacy group Altmobility PH, the carpool proposal would mean a weaker public transport system with reduced benefits for commuters.
"EDSA Busway's main value is travel time reliability, which requires strict and visible exclusivity. Allowing private vehicle access will introduce turning conflicts, uncertainty, and delays that can quickly compound across stations and peak periods," it said in a Facebook statement, which was also shared by the DOTr.
"Public debate around the busway often returns to the perception that a dedicated bus lane is inefficient because it appears underused compared to mixed-traffic lanes. This view misunderstands how transport systems function," the group continued, noting that the busway is designed to "maximize people throughout, and not merely vehicle volume."
"To make it more efficient means running more buses with frequent, organized schedules. Merely introducing private cars, which carry fewer people, would only reduce the busway’s efficiency," it explained. "The busway exists to ensure that limited road space is used in the most efficient way possible, particularly during peak hours when demand is highest. Preserving its exclusivity is essential not only for current users, but for sustaining mode shift and maintaining overall corridor performance."
"As authorities continue to refine traffic operations along EDSA, it is critical that short-sighted policies do not come at the expense of a high-capacity public transport system that serves hundreds of thousands of commuters every day," Altmobility PH noted.
MMDA's carpool proposal
The statements came after the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority said it's considering allowing high-occupancy vehicles carrying at least 10 passengers to use the EDSA busway.
MMDA General Manager Nicolas Torre III shared in media interviews that the agency is studying the proposal. He cited data mentioning the EDSA capacity is at 300,000, but 460,000 ply the highway daily. He said that transport network vehicle services help reduce the volume of vehicles.
Currently, vehicles that can use the EDSA busway are Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board-authorized buses, emergency vehicles, and the country's top five officials. This includes the President, Vice President, Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to "provide assistance in the performance of their duties.
Unauthorized use of the EDSA busway will be meted with a penalty of a P5,000 fine for first offense; P10,000 fine, one-month suspension of driver's license, and requirement to undergo road safety seminar for second offense; P20,000 and one-year suspension of driver's license for third offense; and P30,000 and recommendation to the Land Transportation Office for revocation of license for fourth offense.
