Provincial buses using Edsa to be restricted to certain hours in July

Operation of all provincial buses plying Edsa would soon be restricted to certain hours in the morning and the evening of the weekdays, according to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).

Starting July 15, both northbound and southbound provincial buses would be prohibited from passing through a stretch of Edsa running from Pasay up to Cubao in Quezon City from 5 a.m. until 10 a.m. and from 4 p.m. until 9 p.m., from Monday to Friday.

This was in anticipation of massive traffic that would be caused by consecutive road projects this July, MMDA general manager Jojo Garcia said on Saturday.

The measure, approved by the Metro Manila Council headed by MMDA chair Danilo Lim in a resolution, would reduce the number of buses by 2,000, Garcia added.

In the meantime, affected provincial buses would be exempted from the Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program or number coding scheme to help ease their incurred operational costs while the restrictions are in place.

They are also allowed to use the MMDA-operated Southwest Interim Provincial Terminal located in Pasay.

Violators of the temporary ban would be slapped with a fine of P2,000.

Motorists are advised to take alternate routes along major thoroughfares and highways as heavy traffic is expected in Metro Manila once the following major construction projects start in July:

• • North Luzon Expressway Drainage Enhancement Project along A. Bonifacio Road on July 1
  • construction of an elevated guideway for the Metro Rail Transit 7 (MRT-7) along North Avenue starting July 2
  • emergency leak repair on a large mainline along Edsa-Shaw Boulevard area starting July 7
  • replacement of Buendia Bridge also beginning next month

/atm