MMDA mulls designating rightmost EDSA lane for motorcycles

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is considering designating the rightmost lane of EDSA for motorcycles, according to a report by James Agustin on GMA News' Unang Balita on Wednesday.

The MMDA is set to meet on Wednesday to discuss this possibility, and determine if the motorcycles will be on the same lane as bicycles, or separate, and what would be the traffic scheme if motorcycles need to make a U-turn.

The second lane from the left on EDSA was the motorcycle lane before. However, after the leftmost lane became the EDSA Busway last year, motorcycles now would weave in and out of the remaining lanes.

Interviewed on Super Radyo dzBB on Wednesday, MMDA chairperson Benhur Abalos said the suggestion is considered with the anticipation that traffic on EDSA would improve soon.

“Ang EDSA kasi ngayon ay maaaring lumuwag na po because 'yung NLEX at SLEX ay magkokonekta na. 'Yung mga bus lanes naayos na po natin, ‘yung mga U-turn,” Abalos said.

"Ito ay mungkahi ko lang dahil nagmomotorsiklo rin ako. I think it will be safer for them, lalo na kung umuulan, kung nasa bandang kanan, later on po kung lumuwag (ang EDSA)," he added.

For Abalos, bicycle riders are not safe to use the major thoroughfare.

As several cities already designated their own bike lanes, Abalos said experts suggested developing a parallel route for bicycles along EDSA.

"Ang bisikleta talaga pong delikado sa EDSA kahit saan mo ilagay kaya nga sa ngayon, anyway, pag-aaralan pa rin po naman ito," he added.

Motorcycle riders welcomed the idea of having the rightmost EDSA lane dedicated to them, but others motorists are not entirely in favor of it.

"OK talaga gawa nang may sarili na kaming lane. And then maiiwas kami sa traffic kumbaga. Hindi tulad ng iba na suot dito, suot ganyan. Ngayon, mayroon na kaming sarili. Maganda, mapapadali kami sa trabaho," motorcycle rider Roi Kenneth Escribando said.

"Maganda naman po 'yon kapag walang, 'yung motor lang 'yung dumadaan talaga, hindi pinapasukan ng iba tulad ng mga jeep, o anu-ano. Mas maganda ito. Iwas traffic," motorcycle rider Alkisar Hanabin said.

For Nilo Tumbo, a cyclist, having motorcycles on the rightmost lane on EDSA would not be a problem. Cyclists have been using the rightmost lane on EDSA.

"Sa akin lang po, wala pong problema. Ewan ko sa iba kasi hindi naman ako nagpa-ano eh, gilid nang gilid lang naman ako eh," he said.

Taxi driver Nicanor Sanchez however thinks it would be useless to designate a dedicated lane for motorcycles.

"Hindi pa rin kami pabor doon kasi kumakalas pa rin sila. Sa totoo lang kasi, kahit na, halimbawa nasa kanan sila, lalabas pa rin po 'yon at lalabas. Gagawa pa rin ng paraan para makalusot sila. Kaya minsan nababangga sila sa ganu'ng paraan na overtake agad," he said. —With a report from Joviland Rita/KG, GMA News