The first of the three bays of the Ayala EDSA Busway Station, which Ayala Land Inc. (ALI) built inside its One Ayala building, officially started operating today, Saturday, November 19.
By April 2023, all bays of the station will be operating.
"The EDSA Ayala Busway Station will benefit mall workers, employees of the Makati Central Business District, as well as holiday shoppers," Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jaime Bautista remarked during the ceremonial inauguration of the terminal on Friday (November 18, 2022).
Even way back in the 1960s, ALI's vision was to use the property at the corner of EDSA and Ayala Avenue to assist commuters traveling to and from the Makati Business District, according to ALI President Bernard Vincent Dy.
The EDSA Ayala Busway Station is part of a transport hub of three terminals serving South-bound buses, Public Utility Vehicles (PUVs), and modern jeepneys that can accommodate over 300,000 passengers daily.
Each of the three bays of the One Ayala EDSA Busway station can simultaneously accommodate nine buses on queue, totaling to 27 buses.
The terminal facility is also equipped with restrooms, ample queuing area, seats for PWD, senior citizens and pregnant women, and bike racks.
Passengers headed northbound will have access to the station through the McKinley-Ayala Footbridge, which is directly connected to the 2nd Floor of the One Ayala Avenue (OAA).
The dedicated station will complement the 24/7 operations of the EDSA Busway free rides in December, according to Bautista.
The One Ayala EDSA Busway station "depicts a scalable transport infrastructure," elevating the country's transportation system to global standards and supporting the mobility and connectivity needs of commuters, he elaborated.
The DOTr Secretary thanked ALI for partnering with the government to provide a safe, affordable and accessible transport system to the public.
"We look forward to the full operations of this station," he concluded.