MMDA temporarily suspends provincial bus ban on EDSA

The Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has announced that it is temporarily suspending the provincial bus ban on EDSA due to the non-operational interim terminals in Valenzuela City, Parañaque City and Santa Rosa, Laguna.

The terminals are expected to be operational in December, according to GMA News TV's News To Go on Tuesday.

The MMDA implemented on August 15 the provincial bus ban to ease the heavy traffic on EDSA during rush hours.

In an interview on GMA News' Unang Balita, MMDA spokesperson Celine Pialago said buses coming from the north that are ending their route in Cubao in Quezon City, and those from the south stopping at the Pasay terminal may now traverse EDSA anytime of the day.

They are also no longer exempted from the number coding scheme, Pialago added.

Pialago said the provincial bus ban was supposed to go together with the MMDA's carpooling policy, but the latter proposal was not able to gather support.

The MMDA estimates that the volume of vehicles on EDSA will increase by 20 percent during the "Ber" months. — Jamil Santos/RSJ, GMA News