EDSA busway will not be removed, it will be expanded  – DOTr

The efficient EDSA Busway will not be removed to cater to private vehicles traversing EDSA.

This was the assurance of outgoing Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista as he maintained that the dedicated lane for buses, which carry thousands of commuters daily, will not be removed but will rather be improved with the help of the private sector via the privatization of its operations and management.

“Hindi tatangalin ang EDS Busway, Nagkaroon lang ng diskusyon diyan pero hindi ito tatanggalin,” Bautista said during a radio interview earlier last week,

Bautista noted that in his last Cabinet meeting, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. discussed the Comprehensive Traffic Management Plan (CTMP) for Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

“We need to have an efficient public transport system”, the President emphasized during the meeting.

Bautista further explained that the EDSA Busway is “not necessarily a replication of the MRT-3,” since the EDSA Busway serves commuters from Caloocan City up to Paranaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) in Paranaque City.

On the other hand, the MRT-3 rail line serves riders only from North Ave., in Quezon City up to Taft Ave.

Bautista said even point-to-point buses (P2P) and airport express buses are now being allowed to ply the EDSA Buswa to help alleviate congestion along the country’s busiest thoroughfare.

To further support statements against the removal of the EDSA Busway, Bautista said the feasibility study for the project’s privatization will be completed in a few months, adding that he hopes that the O&M for the operations of the EDS Busway will be awarded by the end of 2026.

“Yung feasibility study matatapos natin within the next few months.  We’re expecting that we will be able to award the O&M of the EDSA Busway by the end of 2026,” he added.

“Gusto sana natin na yung EDSA Busway conforms to international standards para sa comfort at convenience ng ating mga pasahero,” he noted.