The Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) Busway and other forms of public transport will be prioritized during the EDSA rebuild beginning June 13.

In a press conference at the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) headquarters in Pasig City on Monday, Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon said the busway will remain open for the duration of the EDSA rebuild.

“The priority of President Marcos is the 200,000 commuters using the busway everyday,” Dizon said.

A total of 100 buses will be added to the EDSA carousel route to encourage commuting and to address the traffic schemes that will be implemented by the MMDA to reduce the number of private vehicles on EDSA.

“We know that the rebuild will cause delays, traffic will worsen, that’s why the President asked us to find a way to reduce these delays,” he said.

While EDSA’s inner lane will be the first to undergo a rebuild, Dizon said the busway’s barriers will be adjusted to allow its continuous operation.

In addition, only two buses at a time will be allowed to wait for passengers at each station, and a 30-second timer will be strictly enforced to ensure the smooth flow of the busway.

On the other hand, there will also be several adjustments to the Metro Railway Transit 3 (MRT-3) to speed up queues and add more capacity.

“We will accelerate queues by removing x-ray machines. We’re having a dry run right now,” Dizon said.

He said the decision was based on studies that show subways and other train services in other countries do not employ x-ray machines.

However, he said security will remain paramount and there will be an increased presence of Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) personnel and K9 units.

The passenger capacity of the MRT-3 will also be increased through the addition of more trains or by using more four-car trains.

On Monday, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan said the EDSA rebuild will begin on June 13 and will be completed in 2027.

Aside from building sturdier pavements and laying down asphalt, the rebuild will also improve EDSA’s pedestrian lanes and drainage structures to help address flooding in certain parts of EDSA. 

PNA PHOTO