Introduction

Traffic in EDSA, a very important national road in Metro Manila, wasn’t as bad back in the day.
In fact, the only traffic setback people worried about in the 70s were intersections in Cubao and
Ortigas. Drivers were still able enjoy the power of their vehicle’s engines.

Today, this is not the case. Traffic in Metro Manila has become unbearable for all Filipinos. Not
only does it affect all drivers’ moods, it also affects our economy. According to a 2014 report of
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and National Economic Development Authority
(NEDA), the Philippines is losing a whooping ₱3.5 billion a day due to traffic. If not addressed
immediately, it will increase to ₱5.4 billion by 2035.

This is one of the few reasons why the government has been trying to come up with several policies
and resolutions that may possibly help mitigate traffic woes in the city, one of which is the Driver-
Only Ban. This policy encourages all car drivers to avoid passing through EDSA if they are alone,
especially during rush hours.

No matter how good the intentions were, the policy drew flak and criticism. Filipinos worry about
how to go about their daily commute to work or school. It’s also common knowledge that the
country’s transportation system is very far from ideal. The Metro Rail Transit (MRT) 3 alone
operates with only 12 trains, while there are about more than 250,000 passengers daily, making it
difficult to commute all the more. Although some may say that there are still other options like
buses or jeepneys, most still find it a hassle to compete with other commuters.

On August 7, the Metro Manila Council approved the proposal to ban driver-only vehicles on
EDSA during rush hours. This came a year after the MMC first floated the idea of banning driver-
only cars from the High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane, the one nearest the center island.
Over the years, there has been a steady rise in traffic volume on EDSA. While there was a slight
dip in 2016, the annual average daily traffic (AADT) increased again to 367,738 vehicles in 2017.

In the same year, an average of 247,527 private cars passed EDSA, accounting for 62% of the
annual average daily traffic. Multi-combination (MC) heavy vehicles ranked second at 69,438,
while taxis came in 3rd at 20,022. Public utility buses occupied 3% in traffic volume with an
average of 12,283 units.

Under the new scheme, driver-only vehicles are barred from traversing all lanes of EDSA from
North EDSA in Quezon City to Magallanes in Makati City from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. to 9
p.m., Monday to Friday.

The Metro Manila Council (MMC) and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority
(MMDA) implemented the resolution last August 23 in the hopes that the traffic congestion will
ease for all Filipinos. Around 3,000 drivers were caught violating the policy on its first dry run.
Senators, however, urged the resolution to be suspended and asked the implementing bodies to
further study the scheme. However, the MMC refused to do so. Under the new proposal, however,
all lanes on the highway are now considered HOV lanes.

From August 15 to September 13, the official start of the dry-run, 35,627 driver-only vehicles still
passed through EDSA during the rush hours. It's worth noting that the recorded number of single
drivers has been steadily decreasing from the first day of the test-implementation.

The Senate, on the first day of the dry-run, voted unanimously to adopt a resolution calling for the
suspension of the implementation of the driver-only car ban on EDSA.

The upper house called on the MMDA and the Metro Manila Council to further study the HOV
scheme and “provide real solutions to Metro Manila traffic congestion.”

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said that with the new traffic scheme, vehicular volume
on EDSA was just transferred to other thoroughfares.

Social media users complained that while the ban seems to help in lessening traffic on EDSA, it
has worsened the situation on C5.

The problem with the new HOV traffic scheme, however, is that a number of vehicles are tinted,
making it difficult for MMDA officers to accurately monitor those with single drivers.

A total of 12,290 tinted vehicles have been recorded from August 15 to September 13. This means
it is possible that an average of 585 tinted vehicles a day could be carrying single drivers
throughout that given period.

Through this new policy, the MMDA sees a 40% reduction of vehicles on EDSA during rush
hours.