The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will impose fines on provincial buses that will not comply with the “no loading and unloading policy” of the agency along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (Edsa) as the strict enforcement of the policy starts.
Violators face a P500 fine for illegal loading and unloading. They may also face penalties of P1,000 for violation of the closed-door policy, P1,000 for road obstruction and P150 for disregarding traffic signs.
“Our traffic enforcers are directed to apprehend provincial buses that will pick up and drop off passengers along Edsa,” said Bong Nebrija, MMDA traffic manager for Edsa.
Traffic enforcers will issue citation tickets on violators of the traffic scheme as it reminded bus operators that their bus units should only pick up and drop off passengers at their designated terminals.
“Traffic enforcers would issue citation tickets.”
“The no loading and unloading policy has been disregarded or not being complied for a long period of time which contributed to the worsening traffic congestion right now. Thus, we are implementing this again. We will have intensified enforcement operations,” Nebrija said.
“We will have intensified enforcement operations.”
The MMDA is also starting its dry run for the closure of bus terminals along Edsa. It is coordinating with the local governments of Pasay and Quezon cities which have jurisdiction over these bus terminals.
Bus operators are also being urged to use the interim terminals located in Valenzuela City and Santa Rosa City in Laguna province as the Department of Transportation (DOTr) constructs the integrated bus terminals in Bulacan province and Taguig City for public utility buses coming from the northern and southern provinces near Metro Manila, respectively.
The DOTr is also coordinating with the MMDA in expanding the routes of city buses going to the integrated terminals to ensure ease of travel among commuters.
Provincial bus operators have earlier appealed to the MMDA to stop the implementation of the provincial bus ban as this will inconvenience commuters coming from provinces who travel to Metro Manila daily.
The MMDA said it aims to close down all 47 bus terminals along Edsa by June.
