Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez rejected a proposal to allow carpooling vehicles to use the Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue (EDSA) Busway, warning that the move would undermine the corridor’s purpose.
In a statement, Lopez said opening the busway to private vehicles even under a carpooling scheme, would “inevitably slow down bus operations and defeat the very purpose for which the busway was created.”
“The busway was designed primarily to move more people, not more cars, by providing fast and uninterrupted service to buses carrying up to 300,000 passengers daily,” he said.
The proposal was earlier floated by Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) General Manager Nicolas Torre III as a possible solution to worsening traffic congestion in the National Capital Region (NCR).
Lopez stressed that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directives are clear, noting that government transport policy must remain commuter-focused and supportive of mass public transport rather than car-centric solutions.
He added that feedback from passengers consistently highlights the EDSA Busway’s effectiveness in delivering faster and more efficient public transportation.
“Sapat na dahilan ito para manatiling eksklusibo ang EDSA Busway para lamang sa mga bus at mga komyuter,” Lopez said.
Despite opposing the proposal, Lopez said the Department of Transportation (DOTr) remains open to dialogue with the MMDA, other government agencies, and civil society groups to develop “more innovative, well-thought-out, and holistic solutions” to Metro Manila’s traffic woes.
Torre earlier said the MMDA is studying the possibility of allowing high-occupancy vehicles—those carrying at least 10 passengers—to use the EDSA Busway as a way to ease congestion and encourage carpooling in the metropolis.
