DOTr mulls firing gov’t workers who violate Edsa busway rules

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority inspects the EDSA Busway Carousel – Monumento Station in Quezon City on Friday, September 23. Courtesy of MMDA Facebook page

MANILA, Philippines — A Transportation official on Tuesday saw a need to consider whether termination from service can be enforced on government employees who would violate the Edsa busway rules.

The statement came after two Manila International Airport Authority employees were suspended for using the exclusive Edsa bus lane on January 21.

“Kailangan na rin po nating tignan ito [possible termination ng government employees] dahil nga po maliwanag naman sa ating patakaran nakalagay kung sino lamang po ang maaaring dumaan diyan [sa Edsa busway],” said Department of Transportation (DOTr) Command and Control Operations Center chief Charlie Del Rosario in a Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon briefing.

(We also need to look into this [possible termination of government employees] because it is clear in our policy that only those specified are allowed to pass through [the Edsa busway].)

READ: Altercation ensues as MMDA catches airport police using bus lane

Meanwhile, the official once again asked government employees to obey the rules of Edsa busway usage as they represent the agency they are working at.

“Ang pakiusap natin diyan simple lamang po, kung alam naman nating hindi tayo dapat dumadaan sa Edsa bus carousel ay huwag na po nating i-attempt para nga po maiwasan [ang apprehension], lalung-lalo na po ang bitbit nating sasakyan ay identified pa naman na government vehicle,” del Rosario said.

(Our request there is simple: if we know that we shouldn’t pass through the Edsa bus carousel, let’s not attempt to do so to avoid [apprehension], especially if the vehicle we are carrying is identified as a government vehicle.)

“Hindi lang po kasi ‘yung personnel ang nakikita diyan, nakikita rin po ‘yung opisina ng gobyerno na gumagamit na hindi naman po dapat,” he added.

(It’s not just the personnel that are being observed there; the government office itself is also seen using [the Edsa bus carousel] when it shouldn’t.)

When asked for the latest count of Edsa busway apprehensions, del Rosario said that the department has only apprehended 290 violators from January 1 to the morning of January 23.

This translates to an average of 12 to 13 apprehensions daily, which is much lower than last year’s 30 to 40 daily violators, he noted.