MMDA says dry run for provincial buses might push through

July 31, 2019

The Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Wednesday said the dry run for the provincial bus ban might push through without sanctions.

"What might happen is that we will do the dry run without enforcement. That's why we will talk to the stakeholders later because we need their one hundred percent cooperation so we can detect what will be the problems if we will do it (provincial bus ban)," MMDA general manager Jojo Garcia said.

Garcia explained that the dry run, which MMDA is eyeing on August 6 or 7, might happen but without imposing penalties to provincial buses.

"We are still (checking) the legal basis once we will enforce (the policy)," he said.

According to Garcia, the MMDA and the Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) will have a meeting before officially commencing the proposed policy on banning provincial buses along EDSA.

"LTFRB's MC (memorandum circular) is supposed to take effect on Friday but there are still conditions. The condition is the memorandum circular will only push through if the terminals are closed," Garcia said.

"So we will discuss later about how the dry run will be implemented next week without issues," he added.

Under the Memorandum Circular 2019-031, the conditions will apply once there is permission to close the provincial bus terminals along EDSA.

"(T)he provisions of this memorandum circular shall only take effect upon the closure of all public utility bus terminals along EDSA by the concerned Local Government Units, and the establishment and accreditation of the identified Interim Terminals," the memorandum circular read.

Based on the condition in the submitted memorandum circular, passengers of provincial buses from north going to its terminal on EDSA shall temporarily alight on the Valenzuela interim terminal.

Those buses coming from south will be asked to stop in Sta. Rosa, Laguna or in Paranaque City. Cristina Eloisa Baclig/DMS