The Department of Transportation is looking at the possibility of creating designated bus lanes just like the EDSA Carousel in major thoroughfares in Cebu, Davao, Cagayan de Oro, and other parts of Metro Manila.
Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista shared the plan during a Commission on Appointments hearing when Senator Risa Hontiveros asked why EDSA is the only lane that has a dedicated bus lane.
“Palagay ko po kailangan po nating magkaroon ng more dedicated lanes po. ‘Yun pong EDSA Carousel po maganda ang naging resulta at pinag-uusapan na po namin sa road sector ‘yung possibility of having dedicated bus lanes sa major thoroughfares like Quezon Avenue, Commonwealth Avenue, ‘yun pong mga malalapad na mga kalye po natin sa Metro Manila para po mabigyan natin ng mabilis na transportasyon,” he said.
“Katulad po ng EDSA Carousel na from North Ave. to Ayala is less than 30 minutes. Palagay ko po kailangan po gawin natin ito lalo na sa mga (We also need to do this in) major cities not only in Metro Manila but also in Cebu, Davao and Cagayan de Oro,” he added.
Hontiveros was happy about Bautista’s statement, noting that the government can adopt and apply the best practices in Jakarta, Indonesia where they have 388 designated kilometers of roads as bus lanes.
— Ronald Espartinez