Dashcam footage shows a police car suddenly entered the Edsa bus lane, causing the bus driver to swerve and crash his vehicle into an MRT-3 railing along Santolan southbound station in Pasig city on Wednesday, December 27, 2023. (Screengrab from DOTr Facebook page)
MANILA, Philippines — Five passengers sustained injuries when a bus crashed into an MRT-3 railing while trying to avoid a police car that suddenly entered the Edsa bus carousel lane.
Screengrab from DOTr Facebook page
The incident occurred along Santolan southbound station in Pasig City on Wednesday.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) reported the crash in a Facebook post on Thursday.
“Ayon sa report, limang (5) pasahero ang nagtamo ng galos, bukol at matinding pagkahilo na agad naman nirespondehan ng ambulansya mula sa QC [Quezon City] LGU [local government unit],” it said.
(According to the report, five [5] passengers sustained bruises and suffered from bumps and severe dizziness. They were immediately responded to by an ambulance from the QC [Quezon City] LGU [local government unit].)
The passengers were brought to Quirino Memorial Medical Center for medical treatment and were later discharged.
Dashcam footage from the bus showed it was traversing along Edsa bus lane with no nearby vehicles ahead of it.
All at once, a police car attempted to enter the lane and it almost hit the bus.
As a reaction, the bus driver quickly swerved to avoid the vehicle.
His bus crashed into the MRT railing as a result.
According to the DOTr, only Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board-authorized buses, on-duty ambulances, fire trucks, police vehicles, service vehicles performing their duties for Edsa Busway Project, and convoys of top government officials are permitted to use the exclusive bus lane.
Government officials are who can use the lanes are the President, Vice President, Senate President, House Speaker and Supreme Court Chief Justice.
On November 13, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) also implemented stiffer penalties and fines of up to P30,000 for violators of Edsa bus carousel lanes.
Below is the list of fines 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 requirement to undergo a road safety seminar
- Third offense: P20,000 plus one-year suspension of driver’s license
- Fourth offense: P30,000 plus a recommendation to Land Transportation Office for revocation of driver’s license