Legal basis and enabling authority
- Republic Act No. 7924 empowers the MMDA to set policies concerning traffic in Metro Manila and to coordinate and regulate programs and projects concerning traffic management, specifically pertaining to enforcement, engineering, and education.
- Section 6 of Republic Act No. 7924 serves as the legal basis for the Metro Manila Council’s approval of the EDSA Organized Bus Route Project and its Implementing Guidelines.
Policy rationale and program objective
- The EDSA Organized Bus Route Project is designed to manage the flow of buses along EDSA by controlling headways between buses dispatched at terminals.
- The Project is designed to strictly enforce rules on PUV lanes and loading and unloading areas.
- With controlled and unified dispatch, the Project aims to reduce bus volume on an hourly basis and thus increase travel speeds.
- The Implementing Guidelines are issued to enable affected/concerned parties to understand the details of MMDA Resolution No. 03-28, Series of 2003.
Core dispatch, sequencing, and headway rules
- Buses must be assigned color-coded dispatch numbers at terminals or centralized dispatching areas and at control stations along EDSA where buses from various routes converge.
- Dispatch numbers must be issued such that the color of the dispatch cards depends on the location where the cards are issued.
- Buses must be dispatched sequentially under FIRST IN-FIRST OUT procedure from terminals or centralized dispatching areas.
- The pre-set desirable headway indicated in the timer installed at dispatch locations must determine the time gap between dispatches.
- Headway must vary based on demand and/or time of the day.
Recording and vehicle display requirements
- For each dispatched bus, the system must record the dispatch number, bus/plate number, name of bus company, destination, and departure time.
- The dispatch number must be displayed on the right side windshield of each bus.
Overtaking restrictions and control-point re-sequencing
- Buses with higher dispatch numbers must not overtake buses with lower dispatch numbers.
- At control points along EDSA where buses from various routes converge, a new set of numbers must be issued to replace the original dispatch number from the terminal or from previous control points, maintaining sequential ordering.
Passenger accumulation monitoring
- Headways may vary based on demand along the corridor.
- Spotters must be deployed along EDSA to monitor accumulation of waiting passengers.
PUV lane and kerb-lane allocation rules
- The 1st or kerb lane of the Yellow or PUV lanes must be for the exclusive use of city buses and other yellow-plate PUVs defined in the Guidelines.
- Other PUVs (including provincial buses, jeepneys, mega taxis, taxis with no passenger, and other yellow plate vehicles) must use the 2nd lane of the PUV lanes.
- Taxis with passengers must use the lanes for private vehicles (the 3rd, 4th and 5th or median lane).
- At service roads of intersections with underpasses and flyovers, city buses may transfer to the 2nd lane upon leaving the bus stop before the intersection to allow right turning cars to occupy the kerb or the 1st lane.
- The 1st or kerb lane must be usable as a temporary holding area for stalled vehicles and for other emergency purposes.
- All buses must be required to use the at-grade service road at intersections with flyover or underpass, except in areas specifically identified by MMDA.
Loading/unloading time, areas, and traffic-signal limits
- City buses may load and unload passengers at major stops for a maximum duration not exceeding thirty (30) seconds or as indicated by the timer installed at the area.
- At minor stops, buses may load and unload based on demand but for not more than 15 seconds.
- At major bus stops or controlled stations, loading and unloading must be allowed only at designated areas between markers “Start of Loading/Unloading Area” and “End of Loading/Unloading Area”.
- Incoming buses outside the designated area must observe the “Closed Door Policy.”
- The first arriving bus must occupy the area nearest the marker “Start of Loading/Unloading Area.”
- Subsequent buses must occupy the space immediately following the first bus.
- For each hour, the signal and timer must be set to a desirable maximum loading/unloading/waiting time or to the desirable headway between bus departures from bus stops.
- When the signal turns from “RED” to “GREEN” or when the timer reaches the predetermined time limit, all buses within the designated loading/unloading areas must leave immediately.
- The timer must start when the first bus in the platoon has moved to the area with marker “Start of Loading/Unloading Area.”
- Traffic enforcers must be assigned at designated loading/unloading areas to strictly implement the rules.
- Apprehension of erring bus drivers must be done outside the designated loading/unloading areas to clear the way or enable the next group of buses to move thereon.
- There must be absolutely no loading and unloading at signalized intersections during the green phase.
- Loading and unloading must be allowed only in the kerb or first lane.
Private vehicle stopping rules on EDSA
- Private vehicles and taxis may stop to load and unload passengers and/or goods on the kerb or first lane anywhere along EDSA but not within 50 meters from the nearest intersection.
- Such stops must not last for more than 30 seconds.
- Private vehicles may enter the PUV lanes only when making right turns to side roads of EDSA or when entering EDSA from side roads, with appropriate lane markings for this purpose.
Queue numbers, MMDA recording, and exit controls
- Queue numbers must be surrendered to authorized MMDA personnel at designated exit points at EDSA.
- For each exiting bus, MMDA must record queue number, plate number, bus number, company name, destination, and arrival time.
Provincial bus and driver/vehicle operator duties
- Provincial buses must not be allowed to load and unload along EDSA except on areas specifically marked by MMDA for that purpose.
- Bus operators must not allow any driver with a suspended driver’s license to operate.
- A bus operator that allows a driver with a suspended driver’s license to operate a vehicle must have the vehicle impounded as a ground consequence.
- Bus operators must require drivers to secure clearance from the MMDA before hiring them.
- Three (3) violations of the OBR rule within a period of one (1) month must cause the automatic suspension of the driver’s license for one (1) month.
- Suspended driver’s licenses must be kept under the custody of the MMDA and must not be released until all fines and charges have been paid.
- All bus drivers plying the EDSA route must undergo a one-day seminar at the Traffic Operations Center, MMDA.
- Bus operators and traffic enforcers must also undergo separate one-day seminars to understand the details of the EDSA Organized Bus Route Project.
Detailed northbound and southbound route map controls
- Northbound terminals include: TNB1 – Baclaran (for Baclaran route via EDSA); TNB2 – C4 Extension (for Baclaran route via Ayala); TNB3 – NAIA; TNB4 – Alabang/Muntinlupa; TNB5 – FTI; and TNB6 – Pacita.
- Northbound entry points include: Roxas Blvd (from Baclaran via C4); Tramo (from NAIA); South Superhighway/South Luzon Expressway (from Alabang/Muntinlupa, Pacita, FTI); and Ayala Avenue (Baclaran via Ayala).
- Northbound control points include: CNB1 – Mantrade and CNB2 – Estrella (as converging points for designated bus groups).
- Color-coded queue numbers for northbound dispatch/control points must be issued/posted as follows: TNB1 Baclaran – Blue; TNB2 C4 Extension – White; TNB3 NAIA – Black; TNB4 Alabang/Muntinlupa – Green; TNB5 FTI – White; TNB6 PACITA – Brown; CNB1 Mantrade – Gray; and CNB2 Estrella – Violet.
- Northbound exit points must include: ENB1 – Aurora Blvd (for buses going to Marikina); ENB2 – Commonwealth (for buses going to San Mateo); ENB2’ – Fairview (for buses to Fairview, Lagro and Bulacan towns-San Jose del Monte and Norzagaray); ENB3 – Mindanao Ave (for buses going to Novaliches via C-5); ENB4 – Balintawak (for buses going to Novaliches via Quirino Highway, Valenzuela and to Bulacan towns via NLEX); and ENB5 – Monumento (for buses going to Malanday, Letre, Valenzuela, etc.).
- Southbound terminals include: TSB1 – Letre/Navotas; TSB2 – Malanday, Valenzuela; TSB3 – Novaliches; TSB4 – Fairview; and TSB5 – San Mateo Marikina.
- Southbound control points and color-coded queue numbers must follow the specified locations/colors, including CSB1 – Monumento @ Honda – Red, CSB2 – After Balintawak Market @ Royal – Yellow, CSB3 – Roosevelt @ PLDT – Orange, CSB4 – New York – Pink, with queue colors also specified for TSB1, TSB2, TSB3’, TSB3, TSB4, and TSB5.
- Southbound exit points must include: ESB1 – Buendia/Roxas Blvd junction beneath the flyover (for buses to Baclaran exiting via Ayala Avenue); ESB2 – Mantrade (for buses exiting to SSH/SLEX and buses to NAIA); and ESB3 – EDSA Extension/Roxas Blvd (for buses to Baclaran via EDSA).
Fines, penalties, and suspension rules
- The following penalties must apply to private vehicle violations:
- P500.00 for Private vehicles inside PUV lane more than 100 meters before or after intersection, and for Private vehicles loading/unloading within 50 meters from nearest intersection, and for Disregarding Yellow Lane.
- P500.00 for Private vehicles stopping for more than 30 seconds to load/unload passengers and/or goods.
- A bus operating system and queue control violation must trigger:
- Loss of Queue Number must result in 1 month suspension both driver and car plus P300.00 for reproduction of the queue card.
- Overtaking and signage violations must trigger:
- P1,000.00 for an OBR violation under an overtaking and/or breaking scenario for 1st offense, and 2nd offense must impose 1 month suspension of the driver and the bus.
- The rules also apply to Disregarding Traffic Signs under the same overtaking/breaking framework.
- Loading/unloading outside required lanes must trigger the following:
- For Loading and unloading outside the kerb or the 1st lane on the 2nd lane: P1,000.00.
- For the 2nd lane, Loading and unloading on the 3rd lane: P1,000.00 and impounding of the PUV.
- For the 4th lane: P3,000.00 and impounding of the PUV.
- For other lanes (5th, 6th, median lane, etc.): P5,000.00 and impounding of the PUV.
- For the second time or more for violations under items 4, a, b, c and d: it must be a ground for one (1) month suspension of driver’s license plus payment of the required penalty.
- Headway/timer enforcement violations must trigger:
- Ignoring the headway timer (PUVs waiting at bus stops longer than time allowed by the timer): 1st offense – P750.00; 2nd Offense – P750.00 plus one (1) week suspension of driver’s license; 3rd Offense – P750.00 plus one (1) month suspension of driver’s license.
- Terminal skipping and dispatch display violations must trigger:
- Skipping or bypassing designated terminals; City bus running without dispatch number: 1st offense – P1,000.00; 2nd Offense – one (1) month suspension of the driver’s license.
- Provincial bus loading/unloading violations must trigger:
- Provincial buses loading and unloading along EDSA – P1,000.00.
- Repetition of OBR violations must trigger:
- Three (3) violations of OBR Rules in a month must cause automatic suspension of driver’s license for one (1) month.
Publication and memorandum circular effectivity
- The Implementing Guidelines are issued as Memorandum Circular No. 08, Series of 2003 for MMDA Resolution No. 03-28, Series of 2003.
- Memorandum Circular No. 08 takes effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in two (2) newspapers of general circulation in Metro Manila.