MMDA Tags 7,000 Violators of HOV scheme on EDSA

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has tagged almost 7,000 violators in the first two days of the High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) dry run on EDSA.

According to the MMDA, a total of 2,953 violators have been spotted during the first half day of the scheme’s dry run (7 a.m. to 10 a.m.). The agency is able to tag driver-only cars plying along EDSA using closed circuit television cameras (CCTV). In the evening rush hour (6 p.m. to 9 p.m.), MMDA spokesperson Celine Pialago said in an interview that there were 1,300 motorists who violated the HOV scheme. This accounts to 4,253 motorists who violated MMDA’s HOV scheme during the first day of its dry run.

On the second day of the HOV scheme’s dry run, the MMDA recorded 2,715 motorists who violated the ban on driver-only cars on EDSA. As such, the MMDA tagged a total of 6,968 violators during the first two days of the scheme’s dry run.

However, we’re still waiting for the MMDA’s official count in regards to the total number of HOV scheme violators. The agency was planning to fully implement the HOV scheme on EDSA starting August 23. After the public outroar over the scheme on social media though and the Senate’s issuance of a resolution calling for its suspension though, the MMDA has decided to postpone the scheme’s full implementation and instead continue the dry run.