MANILA, Philippines – President Macapagal-Arroyo will personally check today if the 15 bus stops set up along Edsa are really helping unclog traffic on the busy highway.

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chair Bayani Fernando said the President will do the walk-through to check if the new loading and unloading stations have helped untangle the snarled traffic on the 24-kilometer avenue since its launch a few weeks ago.

Ms Arroyo earlier directed Fernando to create a new traffic improvement project after noting that the sharing of bus stops between provincial and city buses has contributed to the traffic congestion along Edsa.

The designated bus stops on Edsa for provincial buses include Magallanes, Guadalupe bridge, Boni Serrano, SM Megamall-J. Vargas Avenue, Ortigas Avenue, Timog Avenue, Quezon Avenue, North Avenue-Trinoma Mall, Balintawak, West Avenue and Ayala Avenue.

The bus stops are located underneath the flyovers to optimize the use of space on Edsa.

Fernando said the chief executive would also see how the Organized Bus Route (OBR) system, which uses radio frequency identification technology to control the dispatch of city buses, was restored among public utility vehicle drivers.

The President will also be shown various traffic improvements such as U-Turn slots, footbridges, pink fences, gantries, directional signs, pavement markings and curbs, which were undertaken by the MMDA to improve traffic along Edsa and ensure the safety of motorists, commuters and pedestrians.