In response to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to mitigate the impact of the upcoming EDSA rehabilitation on daily commuters, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) announced today plans to deploy over 100 additional buses. This initiative, set to begin on June 13 alongside the rehabilitation project, aims to specifically assist workers affected by the major infrastructure undertaking.
DOTr Secretary Vince Dizon stated that President Marcos had ordered significant interventions to minimize inconvenience for workers whose daily commutes will be disrupted by the EDSA repairs. “On the part of the DOTr, the two major interventions ordered by the President are for the workers because… they are also our commuters,” Secretary Dizon remarked during a press briefing on Friday.
Secretary Dizon highlighted that the DOTr had already initiated strategies to alleviate commuter impact even before the formal announcement of the EDSA rehabilitation project. “Our primary proposal is to add more buses to the busway. That is a significant contribution. We already added 50 buses last month, and we will add more than 100 more buses in the coming weeks. That is specifically for workers,” he elaborated.
Beyond increasing the bus fleet, the DOTr is also actively working to enhance the number of operational trains and extend the operating hours of the MRT-3, which runs along EDSA.
To ensure inclusive planning, Secretary Dizon confirmed that the DOTr will participate in a consultation session organized by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma. This session will bring together representatives from workers’ and employers’ groups to gather their input.
The EDSA rehabilitation project is a key component of the government’s “Build Better More” infrastructure program. Its objectives include reducing traffic congestion and alleviating flooding through comprehensive road repairs and drainage improvements.
