MMDA Rescinds Provincial Bus Ban Order

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) announced that it is suspending its provincial bus ban after failing to secure the interim terminal in Valenzuela City.

MMDA supervising operations officer Bong Nebrija told media representatives that the suspension was only temporary, and was done to give the Valenzuela bus terminal time to get its operations together.

The ban, which was implemented last August 15, prevented provincial buses from entering certain portions of EDSA during rush hours during weekdays, particularly from 7 AM to 10 AM and from 6 PM to 9 PM. The re-entry of the buses mean they are no longer exempt from the MMDA's number coding scheme.

Once the MMDA's provincial bus ban is in full swing, provincial buses will no longer be allowed to traverse the major roads in Metro Manila. Instead, terminals will be installed outside the metropolis where passengers can take other modes of public transportation to get inside the metro such as city buses, jeepneys, and taxis, among others.

Currently, there are three bus terminals that are scheduled to be operational within the year: the aforementioned bus terminal in Valenzuela, the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX), and the bus terminal in Sta. Rosa, Laguna. The Parañaque and Laguna terminals are set to begin operations in October and December, respectively.