The Department of Transportation has given bus operators using the EDSA Busway a six-month extension to comply with the government agency’s EDSA Busway Left-Side Door Policy. The directive requires all buses along the busway to have doors facing the left side to ensure the safety of passengers getting on and off.
With the way the EDSA Busway is set up, buses with doors on the right side can put passengers in danger, as they have to board and alight from the opposite side of the station platform, next to the barriers and flowing traffic. The directive for buses to have doors on the left side has been in place since 2021, with the DOTr and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board taking steps to address the safety concerns since 2020.
After the six months are up, the DOTr will no longer grant extensions. Bus operators who have yet to comply by then will risk fines, suspensions, or being banned from the EDSA Busway altogether.
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According to DOTr secretary Giovanni Lopez, out of more than 500 buses along the EDSA Busway, only 181 currently have doors facing the left. The DOTr emphasizes that the directive was made to prioritize passenger safety.
“Hindi na po tayo magbibigay ng palugid diyan at saka extension. Matagal na po tayo nagbigay ng moratorium diyan. This time, in six months, lahat po sana ng ating mga buses na bumabaybay sa busway station dapat may left-side door,” said secretary Lopez.
“Ang importante po kasi doon para sa kaligtasan po ng ating mga mananakay. Para hindi na kailangan ng mga pasahero na umikot pa. Sa left side po ng driver, pag dito mismo sa istasyon, didiretso na lang po sa pagbaba sa platform. Usually po kasi kapag walang left-side door, iikot pa ang mga pasahero, at napakadelikado nun kahit may barrier.”
