Private motorists have been advised to take public transportation instead, like the EDSA Busway System and the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3), to spare themselves of the heavy traffic on EDSA.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) made the call on Thursday, July 15 as major thoroughfares in Metro Manila, including EDSA have been experiencing heavier congestion since Monday.
According to the DOTr, utilizing the smooth operations of its EDSA Busway System and the MRT-3 will help reduce the number of vehicles on the road and improve traffic flow on EDSA especially during rush hour.
The DOTr earlier trumpeted how MRT-3 operations have improved following the completion of the massive rehabilitation works on the rail line.
The agency had also bared that travel time for passengers using the EDSA Busway remains short as it only takes 45 minutes to an hour to get from Monumento to PITX compared to the previous three to four hours.
The DOTr said over 300 public utility buses ply the EDSA Busway route.
Data from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said average ridership at the EDSA Busway was at 100,000 this month, despite the suspension of the "Libreng Sakay" program under the DOTr's service contracting program.
The LTFRB announced last month that it will temporarily halt the program due to the expiration of the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act or Bayanihan 2. For the past few months, the program facilitated free rides to authorized individuals aboard public utility vehicles (PUVs).
The agency explained that the fund for the implementation of the PUV service contracting program was covered by the Bayanihan 2.