Commendable EDSA bus lane enforcement
There’s a lot to complain about traffic and road discipline enforcement these days. For one, there’s the proliferation of ebikes on the road, sometimes driven by those with little to no knowledge of road rules. Another is the return of police escorts and sirens of VIP convoys, forcing aside many law-abiding motorists and drawing even more ire.
The one bright spot in traffic enforcement lately goes to the MMDA and their fierce enforcement of the EDSA Bus Lane. Designed for the exclusive use of accredited city buses and emergency vehicles, this is one part of the road where motorists can believe that the law truly is enforced.
It’s no surprise then that videos of unauthorized vehicles caught using the bus lane quickly go viral. Anything from motorcycles, sports cars, and VIP vehicles were not given any exemption or consideration. While many of these erring drivers claim they did not mean to, it’s pretty clear by their attempt to avoid apprehension that these acts were done with full intent. It’s all the more satisfying to see them cower in shame when the apprehension officers come in with cameras rolling.
Some months back, it was impressive to see the agency conduct a mass takedown or sting of erring vehicles. Some of you may have seen how some private vehicles hid behind buses, hoping to escape the gaze of officers. Quite cleverly, the back of the convoy was blocked off by an official vehicle, while the buses ahead were slowed down, leaving the erring motorists trapped within the lane’s barriers, and forced to receive their tickets and the impending punishment.
Further proof of the government’s intent to keep this lane sacred is the fact that Department of Transportation Secretary, Jaime J. Bautista, has rejected requests from various government agencies to be included in the list of vehicles allowed to travel along the EDSA Busway.
Why is this important?
It may seem pretty trivial to many motorists why these lanes are being defended more intensely than the border of Ukraine. However, this bus lane may help shape how the government will deploy and implement privatized public transport in the future.
It’s important to keep the bus lane clear of unauthorized vehicles because this ensures the buses themselves can move at a faster pace. This allows them to be at the designated stops at predictable and even regular times; perhaps even traverse EDSA faster than a private vehicle can. The main reason so many Filipinos aspire to own a car and drive to work is simply because mass transport is slow, inefficient, and uncomfortable. Granted, owning a private vehicle is not faster, but it’s certainly far more comfortable.
With a fast, efficient, and comfortable bus service — which can only be possible at this stage with an unobstructed bus lane — it is hoped that commuters will opt to leave their cars and take the bus or train once again. The clear lane and speedy traversal of buses is hoped to convince citizens taking private transport along EDSA to look with envy and decide to shift back to public transport. We can only hope that a similar bus lane will be applied to Commonwealth Ave. as well.
This will then decongest the road and consequently make it better for private vehicles as well. This doesn’t just clear up EDSA, but also the major roads in and around Central Business Districts (CBDS).
The need to shifting back to mass transport
Traffic in Metro Manila is already so bad, just a few months after the expected Christmas peak. In fact, the President himself has called attention to it, encouraging officials to plan more effective measures to reduce it. There’s no better way to bring this down than by drastically improving public transport, to such a degree that the idea of taking a private vehicle becomes difficult to justify.
As of today, it’s already quite puzzling why many of us continue to take our vehicles. It takes the average car driver one hour to travel just 10-12-km in Metro Manila. That’s the pace of a brisk jog, at the cost of at least ₱1,000 in fuel a week. This doesn’t include the parking fees yet.
Granted, queueing up isn’t a delightful prospect nor are the buses nice enough for many to make the shift just yet, but when it comes to speed and cost, which is the more efficient solution is already quite obvious.
This bus lane may help shape how the government will deploy and implement privatized public transport in the future.