Provincial buses banned from Edsa underpasses

Provincial buses are no longer allowed on any of the underpasses on Edsa, according to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).

The directive—announced in Memorandum Circular Number 3 s. 2015, signed by MMDA Chair Francis Tolentino on Sept. 9—canceled a May 20 memorandum extending the effectivity of another memorandum allowing the buses to use Edsa underpasses but under certain conditions.

“To harmonize the traffic schemes currently being implemented on Edsa, [the May 20 memorandum] is hereby canceled,” Tolentino said.

It added that effective “immediate[ly],” all provincial buses “shall use [only] the yellow lane and are no longer allowed to use any of the underpasses of Edsa.”

In a separate resolution, the Metro Manila Council also announced the truck ban rules to be implemented in the metropolis effective Sept. 15 in preparation for the Asia Pacific Economic Conference “in the third and fourth quarters” of this year.

According to Resolution No. 3, series of 2015, approved by the MMC’s Special Traffic Committee on Sept. 4, truck ban hours on all roads in Metro Manila will be re-implemented from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. every day, except Sundays and holidays.

A total ban on trucks and heavy vehicles remains in effect on Edsa and the three central business districts—Ortigas, Makati and Bonifacio Global City—from Monday to Sunday, the resolution said.

“At no time during the whole day will trucks be allowed to park on any major thoroughfare in Metro Manila,” it added.

It said trucks were allowed 24 hours in the following northern routes, “subject to prohibited dates in Apec-related events to be determined in later resolutions”—from Port Area to North Diversion Road and from North Diversion Road to Port Area.

According to the MMC, only trucks loaded with “perishable and agricultural cargo” as defined in a 2008 memorandum were exempted from the resolution.–Kristine Felisse Mangunay