Following a court order stopping the implementation of the policy, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said provincial bus operators may or may not join the Provincial Bus Ban Dry Run along EDSA today, Wednesday, August 7.
MMDA General Manager Jojo Garcia, however, said he believes provincial bus operators will be true to their pledge after they have committed their 100-percent participation in the dry run.
The Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 223 issued a writ of preliminary injunction putting a halt to the implementation of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board Memorandum Circular 2019-001 and MMDA Regulation 19-002.
Last week the MMDA , bus operators , Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) and the Department of Transportation (DoTr) held a consultative meeting where bus operators pledged to support the policy.
During the dry run, provincial buses will be banned from traversing along the stretch of EDSA from 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. No penalties will be imposed against violators of the ban.
Also, no actual closure of the existing provincial bus terminals along EDSA will happen.
Provincial buses coming from the north may use the Valenzuela Gateway Complex Terminal to load and unload their passengers. Provincial buses coming from the south may use the Sta. Rosa Integrated Terminal in Laguna while those with terminals in Pasay City may use the Paranaque Integrated Terminal Exchange.
The MMDA shall implement “window hours” from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. for affected provincial buses. During the window hour period, provincial buses are allowed to traverse EDSA to get to common terminals such as Araneta Center Bus Port in Cubao, Quezon City and BFCT East Terminal in Marikina City and PITX.
Also, the number coding for city operating buses shall also be lifted.
“This means additional 20-percent of city-operating buses’ fleet will be allowed to operate to ensure there are enough number of city buses that will pick up passengers at the interim terminals,” said Garcia.
Image credits: Michael Wels | Dreamstime.com
1 comment
Thanks for the information it was really helpful 🙂