NextGen Day

To alleviate passenger congestion during peak hours, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) has negotiated with the transport consortiums operating public utility buses (PUB) along the EDSA Carousel to increase the route’s maximum capacity to 650.

DOTr Undersecretary Timothy John Batan stated in a Laging Handa briefing on Thursday that the number of passengers using the EDSA Carousel has been increasing.

“Iyon pong operator ay itataas iyong bilang ng mga bus mula po sa 550 paakyat sa 650. The number of buses will increase from 550 to 650.) “Therefore, we have increased the number of bus units,” Batan explained.

He stated that the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is planning to open two additional EDSA Carousel stations along Tramo and Ayala Avenues in order to enhance passenger service and comfort.

In early August, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) and the Department of Transportation (DOTr) unveiled two new median bus stops along Roxas Boulevard and Taft Avenue.

Excluding the two stations that are still under construction, the EDSA Carousel features a total of 15 bus stops in the median and an additional three stops on the outer lanes.

Batan stated that these enhancements will help accommodate the anticipated increase in the number of passengers once classes begin on August 22 and the gradual return of face-to-face classes by November.

These include road safety initiatives to increase pedestrian and commuter safety as well as the continuation of the “Libreng Sakay” (free ride) program at the EDSA Bus Carousel and the Light Rail Transit Line 2 stations (LRT-2).

In addition, he stated that the LTFRB has already begun reopening over a hundred city bus, public utility jeepney, and UV Express routes that existed prior to the pandemic.

“Para po masigurado natin na kapag nag-balik eskuwela po tayo sa parating na linggo ay magkakaroon po tayo ng sapat na bilang ng mga public transport na masasakyan po ng ating mga estudyante (This is to ensure that once schools reopen next week, we’ll have enough public transport for our students),” he said.

In July, DOTr Secretary Jaime Bautista and LTFRB Chair Cheloy Garafil met with representatives from the two EDSA Carousel bus consortiums and agreed to accelerate the payout for the ‘Libreng Sakay’ program in exchange for deploying 440 buses during rush hours, compared to a historical average of only 200 buses.

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