Business, advocacy groups call for EDSA Busway privatization

More than a dozen business and advocacy groups are calling for the privatization of the EDSA Busway System to improve commuters’ experience.

In a joint statement, the groups said they “strongly urge and fully support” the privatization of the EDSA Busway System, “conformably with the PPP (public-private partnership) process and under concession terms beneficial to all concerned.”

The groups said, citing data from the Department of Transportation (DOTr), the EDSA Busway System carried an average of 325,000 passengers daily in August 2022, even with only 550 buses committed to its operations, compared to the pre-pandemic level of 3,300 units.  

“It has reduced in half the end-to-end travel time on EDSA — from Monumento in Caloocan City to the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) —from three hours to one-and-a-half hours,” the groups said.

“These are truly impressive gains that reflect great opportunity for further improvement,” they added.

The signatories to the joint statement are the following:

-Agriwatch (Bantay Agrikultura) Inc.
-American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (AMCHAM)
-Anvil Business Club
-Asia Pacific Real Estate Association (APREA) – Philippines
-Cebu Business Club (CBC)
-Cebu Leads Foundation (CLF)
-Chinese Filipino Business Club, Inc. (CFBCI)
-Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce & Industry Inc. (FFCCCII)
-Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce (Phil) Inc. (FICCI)
-Filipina CEO Circle (FCC)
-Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines (FINEX)
-Foundation for Economic Freedom (FEF)
-Guild of Real Estate Entrepreneurs and Practitioners, Inc. (GREENPRO)
-IT & Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP)
-Management Association of the  Philippines (MAP)
-National Real Estate Association (NREA)
-Organization of Socialized Housing Developers of the Philippines (OSHDP)
-Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship Foundation - GO NEGOSYO
-Philippine Council of Associations and Association Executives (PCAAE)
-Philippine Franchise Association (PFA)
-Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA)
-Philippine Retailers Association (PRA)
-Philippines Women’s Economic Network (PHILWEN)
-Philippines-New Zealand Business Council
-Procurement and Supply Institute of Asia (PASIA)
-Subdivision and Housing Developers Association (SHDA)
-Tax Management Association of the Philippines (TMAP)
-Women’s Business Council Philippines (WomenBizPH)

“The EDSA Busway System provides an opportunity for the government to upgrade the country’s public transportation system, despite the challenges posed by severe fiscal constraints brought about by the pandemic,” the groups said.
 
“It is high time that the government and the private sector join hands to provide the critical components that are needed to complete the Busway System and finally put an end to the daily scenario in which thousands of commuters wait in long queues in overcrowded stations while enduring unnecessary pains and hardships,” they added.
 
The busway with rapid bus service has proven to be the most cost-effective urban mass transit system in the world, according to the groups.

“It is easy to implement and requires significantly less capital expenditure, while it can provide high efficiency and ridership capacity similar to rail trams with the introduction of the latest technology in commuter transport: high capacity, articulated trackless long bus-trains running on rubber wheels,” they said.

The groups said that commuters deserve a busway system that is on par with comparable systems in other countries, citing the Jakarta Busway, which has the longest system in the world and the Guangzhou System, which is recognized as “the gold standard.”
 
“We urge the government to immediately implement the privatization of the EDSA Busway System,” the groups said.

Last month, the DOTr said the government was studying the possible privatization of the busway system. — VBL, GMA News