THERE will be no number coding scheme for provincial buses on Dec. 22 and 26 in anticipation of the holiday exodus, the Metro Manila Development Authority announced on Thursday.
“The lifting of coding for provincial buses is usually to address the exodus of passengers,” said MMDA supervising officer for operation Edison Nebrija Jr.
Meanwhile, the MMDA will strictly enforce the Nose-In Nose-Out bus policy terminals at the bus terminals in Metro Manila to ensure the smooth flow of traffic, especially along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue.
The policy requires buses to get in and out of the terminals in one simple maneuver, and they are not allowed to load or unload outside their respective terminals.
Nebrija said a special team from the MMDA and other concerned agencies will also conduct bus-road-readiness inspections and alcohol or drug testing for drivers at the bus terminals.
He said the road readiness and alcohol testing would make sure transport vehicles were roadworthy and the riding public going to the provinces were safe during their trips.
“That is for the terminals. We also have a team for drunk driving,” Nebrija said.
The MMDA advised the passengers to tell the bus company management if they encountered problems during their trip.
The agency had already dispatched more than 2,000 traffic enforcers, quick-response team members and field personnel in three shifting schedules as part of the safety measure.
MMDA officials said that, during the holiday season, people were going to shopping malls, restaurants, entertainment centers and other commercial districts, resulting in the increase of vehicle volume in the metropolis.
The increase in traffic volume could also be attributed to the influx of people and vehicles coming from Southern Tagalog and Central Luzon to go shopping, to visit or to spend the holidays with friends and relatives.
The officials said the holiday rush was continuing to slow the flow of traffic in Metro Manila as a result of the high volume of vehicles that was exceeding the capacity of Edsa by 75 percent.
Edsa’s carrying capacity is 160,000 vehicles per direction. Before the holiday season, 260,000 vehicles travel per direction along the main thoroughfare daily.