When one thinks of a word to describe the traffic situation in Metro Manila, it can only be severe. Commuters are forced to traverse the metropolis’ main thoroughfares for countless hours. Productivity is sacrificed at a significant loss to the economy and business activity.
Former Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jaime Bautista cited a study by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in 2019, stating that Metro Manila’s traffic congestion costs the Philippine economy about P3.5 billion daily. However, with the implementation of the EDSA Bus Carousel, this cost has been significantly reduced, offering a reassuring boost to the economy.
EDSA, the metropolis’s primary artery, has long been a symbol of this struggle. In recent years, the EDSA Bus Carousel system has emerged as a critical intervention to streamline public transportation and ease the burden on commuters.
While not without its challenges, the carousel has demonstrated tangible improvements and holds significant potential for future enhancements.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. sees the opportunity to improve the EDSA Bus Carousel system further.
The Genesis of the EDSA Bus Carousel
EDSA Busway (Photo courtesy of the Philippine News Agency)
The EDSA Carousel, or the EDSA Busway, is a mode of transportation using a bus rapid transit (BRT) system that traverses different cities in Metro Manila. It has designated carousel bus stops strategically placed along its route.
The busway has its dedicated lane, separating it from regular traffic. Its main purpose is to provide an efficient and faster means of commuter transport.
The EDSA Bus Carousel was implemented to respond to the chaotic and inefficient bus system that previously plagued Metro Manila’s (NCR) main thoroughfare. Before its implementation, buses competed for passengers, often causing traffic bottlenecks and endangering commuters.
With its dedicated bus lanes and centralized dispatch system, the carousel system aims to bring order and efficiency to public transportation along EDSA.
It kicked off in 2020 during the pandemic period. It served as a lifeline for those who needed to go out during the lockdown, including the frontliners, health workers, and other essential workers. During those times, the system offered free rides.
Eventually, the EDSA busway transitioned into a more efficient transport mode and has been a significant relief, alleviating the commuting woes of travelers across different cities in the metropolitan area.
Operated by two consortiums (Mega Manila Consortium Corporation and Mega Manila Consortium Corporation, formerly ES Transport the EDSA Carousel has 23 pickup and drop-off points: Monumento, Bagong Barrio, Balintawak, Kaingin Road, Roosevelt, North Avenue, Philam, Quezon Avenue, Kamuning, Nepa Q-Mart, Main Avenue, Santolan, Ortigas, Guadalupe, Buendia, Ayala, Tramo, Taft Avenue, Roxas Boulevard, SM Mall of Asia, DFA Aseana, Ayala Malls Manila Bay, and the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX).
On average, the daily ridership of the EDSA Carousel is pegged at around 389,579 passengers, with the highest record of 404,010 passengers accounted for in 2022. Since the line opened in June 2020, it has served 130,238,608 commuters.
In July 2024, DOTr and MMDA inaugurated two more bus stops: the EDSA Philam and Kamuning stations.
Key Features
The EDSA Bus Carousel has several key features designed to improve efficiency and commuter experience. Its most prominent feature is the dedicated bus lanes on EDSA’s innermost lane. The segregation aims to prevent buses from being entangled in general traffic, ensuring faster and more predictable travel times.
The EDSA Bus Carousel program also has designated bus stops strategically located along the EDSA highway. These bus stops are the pickup and drop-off points, which eliminates the chaotic loading and unloading of passengers anywhere.
Additionally, the project aims to unify the ticketing system by incorporating the operations of an Automated Fare Collection System (AFCS). While the system is not yet fully operational, its implementation is currently in progress and expected to significantly improve transport and provide the passengers with a more seamless experience.
Under the EDSA Bus Carousel system, bus franchises have been consolidated, reducing the number of buses competing for passengers.
Aside from passenger buses for the metropolis, the Busway is also utilized by Point-to-Point (P2P) buses, catering to those who travel to and from fixed destinations such as airports.
Impact on General Commuting
The EDSA Bus Carousel has demonstrated positive results. According to the Department of Transportation, there has been a significant reduction in travel time for bus commuters traversing EDSA by about 30 minutes to one hour.
“Na-improve niya (Carousel) talaga yung convenience ng ating mga pasahero—na dati, ’yong mula Monumento papuntang PITX, inaabot ng two-and-a-half to three hours; sa ngayon is 45 minutes to just one hour. Malaking bagay ’yan,” noted Secretary Bautista.
Such initiative also introduced a shift in the commuting behavior of Filipinos, integrating discipline and the value of safety by alighting and departing at fixed locations—embodying a “Bagong Pilipino sa Bagong Pilipinas” vision of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
Jennifer Canoy, a 32-year-old native of Cebu City who has been staying in Metro Manila for about 10 years, said she has been using the Bus Carousel on her daily commute from Quezon City to Makati and vice versa. Somehow, her trip has been more comfortable now than before, when buses along EDSA were disorganized.
“Mas okay po talaga ’yong may sa Carousel kasi hindi gaya ng dati na para kaming laging nakikipagpatintero ’pag sasakay at talagang unahan. Ngayon medyo organisado na at mas komportable at madali,” Canoy said.
The Future of EDSA Bus Carousel
President Marcos Jr. earlier stressed the need to address the worsening traffic condition in Metro Manila under the Bagong Pilipino sa Bagong Pilipinas program. One of the projects brought to light is the ambitious expansion and extended routes of the EDSA Bus Carousel, a development that promises to significantly improve the commuting experience.
Building on these efforts and as more passengers continue to patronize the Busway, proposals to privatize the operations of the EDSA Carousel were brought into the spotlight to improve services to serve the commuters better.
“We have engaged the services of a consultant to prepare the terms of reference for the privatization of the Busway,” Secretary Bautista shared.
“Ang iniisip natin dito sa Busway is hindi lang ’yong EDSA Carousel, meron mga manggagaling sa other destinations. Kaya part siya ng study na ginagawa natin, magkakaroon ng mga ruta na papayagan nating dumaan dito sa Busway,” he added.
The DOTr is set to hold its bidding plans for a private partnership project in 2025. The project includes the construction of improved bus stations, operations control centers, and parking depots, as well as purchasing, operating, and maintaining high-capacity busways not only along EDSA and other connecting destinations.
The DOTr also constructed various support infrastructures that would help develop the busway system, such as state-of-the-art concourses or passenger access footbridges in strategic places, which were completed in July 2024. About 116 surveillance cameras at different strategic points were also installed to monitor commuter safety and security.
President Marcos has vowed to ensure the timely completion of various EDSA bus carousel system development construction projects. He said that all infrastructure development would be completed promptly by extending construction hours through the Build Better More program.
Along with upgraded infrastructure, active transport facilities, and an automated fare collection system, the EDSA Busway is set to transport millions of Filipinos and the nation into progress.
The EDSA Carousel is an initiative of the Department of Transportation. It is now one of the priority projects under the “Build Better More” infrastructure campaign of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. (PTV)
