Pro-Commuter Party List Hails MMDA for Return of Provincial Buses to EDSA – Manila Bulletin

A welcome relief for commuters.

This is how PASAHERO party list founder Robert Nazal described the decision by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to implement a two-week dry run for the return of provincial buses to the EDSA from March 24.

“This is a welcome relief for commuters who have experienced difficulty and inconvenience traveling to and from provinces during the pandemic,” Nazal said in a statement.

According to MMDA, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) gave the green light to allow provincial buses to pass through EDSA from 10 p.m. IATF on uniform travel protocols. , issued in February 2021, expired on March 24.

IATF stands for Inter-Agency Task Force, which deals with protocols related to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Nazal praised the MMDA, DOTr and LTFRB for finally allowing provincial buses to run along the EDSA.

He said the return of provincial buses to the EDSA is particularly important for poor commuters, who do not have their own cars.

“Masasabi natin na kapus-palad na pasaherong patungo and galing probinsya ang tinamaan ng husto ng pandemya dahil wala silang sariling sasakyan. Dalawang gadfly din nilang tiniis ang hirap and pasakit ng paglalakbay papasok and palabas ng Metro Manila who come and go in the province who were mainly affected by the pandemic because they had no means of transport. For two years they endured the hardships of travel to and from Metro Manila) “, he added.

PASAHERO co-founder Allan Yap noted that under the previous setup, passengers from the provinces had to disembark at terminals too far from their actual destinations in Metro Manila. This forced commuters to make several more trips.

“Besides the inconvenience and additional fare costs, passengers were also at risk of contracting Covid-19,” Yap said.

Yap said allowing provincial buses on the EDSA would “help accommodate the influx of commuters following the gradual reopening of the economy and the Lenten rush”.