MMDA: Observe Edsa lane restrictions

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will strictly enforce lane restrictions on Edsa to help ease traffic during the holiday season.

Starting on Monday, Nov. 20, only buses and other public utility vehicles (PUVs) will be allowed to use the two outermost lanes on Edsa. Private vehicles can only use these lanes when entering or exiting the highway.

And starting on Wednesday, motorcycle riders should also limit themselves to the fourth lane, which they share with private motorists. When overtaking, they can only use the fifth lane, which is closest to the wall of the Metro Rail Transit 3.

They are also given a 100-meter allowance to go to their designated lane or transfer to other lanes whenever they enter or exit Edsa.

Jojo Garcia, the MMDA’s assistant general manager for planning, said these measures were not new and would only be enforced more strictly, noting that buses changing lanes had long been a major cause of congestion on the highway.

With two lanes dedicated to PUVs, city buses loading and unloading passengers at a particular stop will not be allowed to overtake and must stay only on the outermost lane. Provincial and point-to-point (P2P) buses will be using the second lane, which is designated as a “fast lane.”

Noncompliant bus drivers will be cited not only for lane violation but also for reckless driving, and face a total fine of P700 each, Garcia said.

Motorcycle riders and private motorists who would not stick to their designated lanes will be fined P500.

Commuters who will add to the traffic jam by waiting for rides outside the designated stops will also be fined P500 for “jaywalking,” the MMDA official added.