00:00The MMDA is allowing passengers to travel to EDSA by bus during the holiday season.
00:07This is Bernhard Ferrer.
00:12At the behest of the MMDA and the operators of the provincial buses,
00:15they allowed passengers to travel to EDSA.
00:17As expected, the number of passengers this holiday season is decreasing.
00:21According to MMDA Chairman Romando Don Artes,
00:24from December 20 to December 25, 2024 and January 3, 2025,
00:29provincial buses will be allowed from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
00:34While from December 26, 2024 to January 2, 2025,
00:39they will be allowed to travel to EDSA.
00:41When January 4, 2025 comes, provincial buses are again prohibited in EDSA.
00:46The MMDA clarified that if the provincial buses come from the northern areas,
00:51they will only be allowed to travel to Cubao in Quezon City.
00:54If they come from the southern areas,
00:56they will be allowed to travel to PITX in Paranaque City and Terminals in Pasay City.
01:01This was made fun of by some bus operators.
01:04It's a good thing that we still have alternate routes,
01:08aside from what we're going through now on the Skyway from Quezonav or C5,
01:14plus this one in EDSA.
01:16For now, some trips to Bicol and Visayas are fully booked,
01:20although walk-ins are still allowed.
01:22Some bus companies have tightened their restrictions
01:25to ensure the safety of passengers.
01:27There's drug testing,
01:29random drug testing for the employees.
01:32The buses that we use,
01:34we check all of them before we let them run.
01:37At present, the volume of cars in EDSA is 464,000
01:42and it is expected that the holiday season will increase.
01:44While the average speed of cars is 18 kilometers per hour
01:49and it is expected that it will decrease in traffic.
01:51Meanwhile, the Special Action and Intelligence Committee for Transportation or SAIC
01:55has identified 16 cars that illegally passed through the EDSA busways in Antolan.
02:00Bernard Ferrer for Pambansang TV in Bagong, Philippines.
