First day of GCQ: 50 – 60 percent of normal vehicle volume back on Edsa

MANILA, Philippines – Only 50 to 60 percent of the normal volume of vehicles on Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue (Edsa) returned to the major thoroughfare on the first day of the general community quarantine (GCQ) in Metro Manila on Monday, according to the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA).

“We are looking at around 50 to 60 percent volume of Edsa [yesterday] that is compared to the volume that we had prior to COVID-19 (coronavirus disease). You can see buildup already in some parts of Edsa and that is an indication that vehicles are back here,” MMDA traffic chief Bong Nebrija said in an interview on ABS-CBN News Channel on Tuesday when asked about the volume of vehicles in Edsa on the first day of the GCQ.

Despite the reduced volume of vehicles, Nebrija noted that there were some choke points  which he attributed to confusion of motorists on Edsa’s “transformation” for bus lanes.

Under the new setup, the two innermost lanes of Edsa will be for the exclusive use of public utility buses.

“Many of our motorists still do not know that Edsa has already been reconfigured and the bus lane is already on the left side or the median lane,” Nebrija said.

“Apparently, many motorists did not get the memo and still drive their way on the median lane so that’s what was delaying the traffic, because at the entry points they are being driven away from the inner lane to the outer lanes,” he added.

“Even though the yellow lanes before are already free of buses, still, private motorists do not want to use it and they still try to squeeze their way into the bus lane on the left and the two remaining lanes going down the underpass and going up to flyover,” he pointed out.

Nebrija said the MMDA will continuously assess the situation and recommend possible adjustments to the Department of Transportation, Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board, and other agencies.

“This is all new for all of us. There will be adjustments and birth pains but let us give it a chance to work. Yesterday is a little confusing but later on, it will normalize,” he said.

GSG