MMDA plans to close all Edsa bus terminals

MANILA, Philippines — The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is planning to close all 46 terminals for provincial buses and other public utility vehicles (PUVs) along Edsa by June in yet another bid to decongest the metropolis’ busiest thoroughfare.

The Metro Manila Council,  MMDA’s policy-making body, recently approved a resolution prohibiting the issuance and renewal of business permits to all such terminals along Edsa following a supposed directive from President Duterte.

Bus operators will be relocated to bus terminals in Parañaque, Sta. Rosa City and Valenzuela City. Commuters coming into the capital will have to transfer to Metro Manila-bound PUVs.

Though the MMDA already started easing provincial buses out of the metropolis last year, the resolution to close the terminals is the agency’s first definitive move to keep them within its fringes.

Peculiar move

“This is a really peculiar move because you’re actually removing something and relocating them elsewhere permanently,” Bong Nebrija, MMDA traffic commander, said.

“We cannot make a mistake here, so we’re going to do a dry run this April before we can fully implement this,” he added.

Last year, the MMDA also banned provincial buses coming from the south from entering Manila during certain hours to prepare them for the opening of the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX), which is now fully operational.

But before the MMDA can even implement the plan, it must take cues from the PITx’s birth pains, Nebrija said.

This includes opening the terminals to commuters well before enough city-bound routes are opened.

Unlike the Parañaque terminal, the Valenzuela and Sta. Rosa terminals are not projects of the Department of Transportation but venues endorsed by the MMDA, Transport Undersecretary for Roads Mark de Leon said.

Nebrija said the MMDA would work out the kinks in April’s dry run.