By Aerol John Pateña | Philippine News Agency
MANILA — The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has suspended the dry run of the provincial bus ban along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (Edsa), pending its meeting with the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).
“We will continue with the dry run once the guidelines and implementing rules have been ironed out by the three agencies involved,” said MMDA General Manager Jose Arturo “Jojo” Garcia Jr. in a statement on Monday.
Garcia has earlier said that the MMDA is set to meet with officials of the DOTr and LTFRB within this week to finalize the guidelines for the full implementation of the policy.
MMDA Edsa traffic chief Edison “Bong” Nebrija said the dry run of the provincial bus ban might be implemented after the national and local elections on May 13 once the guidelines are finalized.
“Until we finalized the guidelines but this will come maybe after the elections. Most people will be going to the provinces to vote,” Nebrija told reporters.
Strict enforcement of the no loading and unloading policy of provincial buses along Edsa still remains in effect.
The agency’s policy-making body, the Metro Manila Council made up of the 17 Metro Manila mayors, approved MMDA Regulation No. 19-002, prohibiting the issuance of business permits to public utility vehicle terminals and operations along Edsa.
Once the business permits are revoked, the actual closure of the terminals can be implemented by the concerned local government units, which have jurisdiction over the terminals.
MMDA intends to remove all 47 bus terminals along Edsa by June.
Data from the MMDA show there are 12,000 passenger buses in Metro Manila, 8,000 of which are provincial buses while 4,000 are city buses.
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