Over 200 Provincial Buses on EDSA Apprehended for Violating MMDA Ban

Bus drivers and operators got a taste of what to expect when they violate the new policy of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) that bans provincial buses from plying Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue (EDSA) after the agency held a dry run on Wednesday, July 25.

According to the MMDA, the dry run resulted in a total of 219 provincial buses caught violating the new policy. The morning monitoring yielded a total of 86 units caught, while 133 units were apprehended during the evening.

The MMDA's partial and temporary provincial bus ban policy, which seeks to improve traffic flow along EDSA by reducing the number of buses using the highway during busy hours, prevents both northbound and southbound provincial buses from entering Metro Manila's main artery at certain times of the day during weekdays.

Beginning August 1, the agency will ban provincial buses from traveling on EDSA--from Pasay City to Cubao--from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. from Monday to Friday. Violators will be meted with a PHP2,000 fine.

The agency expects that the scheme will affect some 2,000 provincial buses.