MMDA: No apprehension during EDSA 'single ban' dry run

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will not apprehend violators of the expanded high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane or the ban on vehicles with no passengers during the dry-run of the new scheme which will start on August 15.

In a 24 Oras report by Mark Salazar, MMDA spokesperson Celine Pialago said a total of 275 CCTV cameras along EDSA would check how many motorists would participate during the dry run.

"Wala ho tayong huhulihin. Wala ho tayong iaapprehend, wala ho tayong ipepenalize, wala hong ganon. Gagamitin lang ho natin 'yung mga resources na meron tayo, 'yung ating CCTV cameras to check kung ilan 'yung nagpaparticipate sa ating dry run at kung kaya hong paalalahanan sa ground, paalalahanan ho natin sa ground," Pialago said.

"'Yung nagpapakalat na news na one week iimplement na, wala pa po. Siguro bigyan lang ho natin ng pagkakataon na mapractice natin 'yung dry run. Subukan natin kung magiging epektibo o hindi," she added.

Under the scheme, vehicles with no passengers apart from the driver will be banned from EDSA during rush hours.

According to Pialago, the morning rush hours are from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., while the evening rush hours are from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The new scheme gained mixed reactions from motorists.

"Para sa akin okay lang para mabawasan ang traffic sa EDSA. Siguro iiwas na lang ako sa EDSA kung pupunta ako ng parteng Makati o somewhere along EDSA," one driver said.

"Okay siya kung walang emergency kaya lang paano kung may emergency? Huhulihin ka?" another driver added.

The MMDA first attempted to run an HOV lane in December 2017 but had to suspend it to smooth out challenges to the scheme, including heavily tinted vehicles. — Anna Felicia Bajo/BAP, GMA News