Attention passengers: The nearly 50 provincial bus terminals located along EDSA will all be closed down in June.

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) announced today that they will soon be implementing President Rodrigo Duterte’s order to close down all bus terminals along the major artery. “Our direction is to remove all bus terminals along EDSA and relocate them in the outskirts of the metro to minimize traffic congestion,” Lim said.

An MMDA resolution stated that the “ingress and egress of public utility buses and other public utility vehicles in and out of their respective terminals along EDSA greatly contribute to the traffic congestion.” The loading and unloading of passengers along major routes—mostly done by provincial buses—is also a factor.

MMDA General Manager Jojo Garcia added in a report by Inquirer.net that the closure will slowly be implemented after Holy Week, a decision they coordinated with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board and the Department of Transportation. “Dry-run lang muna, ayaw muna natin ng tira nang tira after Holy Week kasi nga [kapag] before Holy Week maraming gagamit niyan at mag-uuwian.”

Although they mentioned that new bus terminals are being constructed in Valenzuela City and Sta. Rosa, Laguna, the traffic management agency has not said anything yet about the possible areas where the current EDSA-based bus stations may relocate to.

We just hope this will be implemented at a time when the alternatives are readily available.

60-kph speed limit all over Metro Manila

MMDA also addressed high-speed drivers (if that’s even possible given the congestion on our major roads) in their earlier announcement, declaring that they will soon be reducing the speed limit of all Metro Manila roads to 60 kilometers per hour (kph).

It will lessen the vehicular accidents that usually happen during off-peak or early hours of the day, Garcia said.

“Nagkatawanan na naman, nakakatakbo ba tayo ng 60 [kph]? Sa Commonwealth, medyo maluwag diyan, ang Roxas Boulevard ‘pag tanghali lang makakatakbo ka na ng 60 kph. Some part ng EDSA, ‘yung pagdating ng Balintawak [and] Monumento maluwag na makakatakbo ka ng 60 [kph],” he added in an Inquirer report.

No specific time has been imposed by the agency, but the Metro Manila Council, governing board of the MMDA, has already approved the regulation.

Header image shows a situation at the Araneto Cubao provincial bus terminal. Photo courtesy of Grig Montegrande/Inquirer.net