MMDA to hold 2-week dry run for travel of provincial buses along EDSA (Sabong News)
Author
Aaron Recuenco
Date
MARCH 24 2022
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will be implementing a two-week dry run that would allow provincial buses along the stretch of EDSA.
MMDA chairman Romando Artes said the move is part of the gradual shift to new normal especially that travel restrictions in almost all part of the country were already lifted due to the significant improvement in the country’s Covid-19 cases.
He said the expiration of the Inter-Agency task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MED) Resolution 101 on March 24 also paved the way for the implementation of the scheme to allow all provincial buses to traverse EDSA.
The IATF Resolution 101, approved in February last year, includes the protocols that should be followed in mass transport.
“The DOTr 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 Artes.
Artes made the announcement as he led the signing of a pledge of commitment for the rationalization, improvement, and enhancement of public and private transportation in the National Capital Region (NCR) on the last day of the MMDA Traffic Summit at the Novotel Manila, Quezon City on Thursday, March 24.
During the summit, Artes said he is thankful for the proposals laid out by the government agencies, private sector, transport groups, transport associations, and local traffic bureaus of the 17 local government units in Metro Manila.
Among the proposed traffic improvement plans are the expansion of the number coding scheme and reimplementation of the truck ban policy, in preparation for the “new normal” as the metropolis eases back into Alert Level 1 for COVID-19 restrictions.
“We will conduct a series of consultations to further improve traffic management in Metro Manila. Rest assure that we will thoroughly study the proposed solutions and we will address the concerns of the commuters and transport sector,” said Artes.
Among those who have expressed their support are Alberto Suansing, Department of Transportation (DOTr) Senior Transport Consultant; Roberto Valera, Land Transportation Office (LTO) deputy director of law enforcement service; Dexter Cardenas, Quezon City Task Force for Transport and Traffic Management (TFTTM) officer-in-charge; Teddy Gervacio, President of the Integrated North Harbor Truckers Association (INHTA); Takanori Oda, JICA CTMP Project Team; and Roberto “Ka Obet” Martin, National President of transport group Pasang Masda.
