MMDA nets over 300 Edsa bus lane violators

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority apprehended 333 violators of Edsa bus carousel lanes as of 10:30 a.m. on Monday, November 13, 2023. (Photo courtesy of Philippine News Agency | JOEY RAZON)

MANILA, Philippines — Over 300 violators have been apprehended on the first day of enforcing stiffer fines and penalties for the unauthorized use of Edsa bus carousel lanes.

Metro Manila Development Authority Chairman Romando Artes reported the offenders include two of their personnel.

Artes said the MMDA employees were riding motorcycles when they used the lane.

“Even our employees na nag-violate, we issued [a] ticket,” he told INQUIRER.net in a Viber message.

(Even our employees who violated, we issued tickets.)

The fines and penalties for bus lane violators took effect on November 13.

Below is the list of stricter sanctions as stated in MMDA Regulation No. 23-002:

First offense: P5,000

Second offense: P10,000 plus one-month suspension of the driver’s license and the requirement to undergo a road safety seminar

Third offense: P20,000 plus one-year suspension of the driver’s license

Fourth offense: P30,000 plus recommendation to the Land Transportation Office for revocation of the driver’s license

According to MMDA, 11,571 bus lane violators were apprehended from January 1 to November 10.

The agency previously imposed a P1,000 fine and 10 demerit points on the driver’s license of the bus lanes’ violators.

However, MMDA Director for Traffic Enforcement Group Victor Nuñez said offenders did not take the rule seriously.

Thus, there was a need to impose bigger fines and penalties, he added.

The Edsa carousel bus lane is a separate lane in Edsa that is exclusively for public passenger buses, ambulances, and marked government vehicles responding to emergencies.