MMDA: Fewer EDSA busway violators in March

From hundreds of apprehensions at the start of the year, less than 20 drivers were nabbed in March for the illegal use of the EDSA bus lane, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said.

According to the MMDA, apprehensions over the bus lane went down from 227 during the first week of January to 16 in March.

“Bunga ng istriktong pagpapatupad ng MMDA ng EDSA Bus Lane policy, patuloy na nababawasan ang bilang ng mga pasaway na motorista na nahuhuling dumadaan dito,” the MMDA said in a statement.

(Due to the strict implementation of the EDSA Bus Lane policy, there is a continuous decrease in the number of violators who use this.)

Meanwhile, a total of 1,051 drivers were apprehended for using the bus lane from January to March.

Of this, the MMDA said that motorcycle riders committed the most violations at 783, followed by cars at 205, vans at 29, taxis at 21, and other kinds of vehicles at 13.

“Ang disiplina at kooperasyon ng lahat, pribado man o publiko, ay mahalaga para maresolba ang problema sa trapiko,” the MMDA said.

(The discipline and cooperation of everyone, private or public, is important to solve traffic.)

Only select vehicles such as on-duty ambulances, fire trucks, and Philippine National Police vehicles, among others, may use the bus lane.

For government officials, only the President, Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court are permitted to use the bus lane as part of their official functions.

Motorists who use the bus lane may face stiffer penalties of up to P30,000.

Under MMDA Regulation No. 23-002, the increased fines for the violation of both public and private vehicles are:

• First offense – P5,000
• Second offense – P10,000 plus one month suspension of driver’s license, and required to undergo a road safety seminar
• Third offense – P20,000 plus one year suspension of driver’s license
• Fourth offense – P30,000 plus recommendation to Land Transportation Office for revocation of driver’s license.

—Joahna Lei Casilao/AOL, GMA Integrated News