‘Anti-poor, anti-commuter’: Netizens lambast provincial bus ban

MANILA, Philippines – Is the provincial bus ban another band-aid solution to traffic? 

As the Duterte administration scrambles to fulfill its campaign promise to ease Metro Manila’s traffic crisis, netizens took to social media to express their indignation against the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority’s (MMDA) ban on provincial buses along EDSA, calling this measure “anti-poor and anti-commuter.”

In an interview with Rappler, transport economist Jedd Ugay said that contrary to its intent, the provincial bus ban on EDSA would only worsen traffic congestion in the Metro, as “commuters would be forced to shift to more unsustainable modes of transportation.” (READ: Expert says provincial bus ban to worsen Metro traffic congestion)

Many pointed out that the MMDA’s new policy is a myopic solution to the traffic crisis as the number of provincial buses plying EDSA daily pales in comparison with the number of private cars.

Facebook user Jed Salvan even suggested that instead of prohibiting provincial buses in EDSA, private vehicles should be banned instead.

Other netizens pointed out that this ban would greatly inconvenience commuters coming in from the provinces, adding to their already arduous and time-consuming commute.

I may not be affected by it, but doing so will directly affect the working class coming from provinces nearby who work in the Metro, and also, those coming and going to the provinces will have to find or reorient themselves in this new system.

Study it first, @MMDA.

— J N T (@onlyjacknicole) May 29, 2019

Here’s what others had to say about the issue:

Provincial bus ban – Curated tweets by rapplerdotcom

The provincial bus ban along EDSA was originally set to take effect on June 1, but in a text message to Rappler, MMDA General Manager Jojo Garcia said  they were still “waiting for the policy and requirements from the Department of Transportation.” – Rappler.com

Nicolas Czar Antonio is a Rappler intern and a Psychology major at the University of the Philippines Diliman. He tweets at @Nicolas_Czar.