EDSA Carousel | |
---|---|
1 | |
Overview | |
System |
|
Operator | |
Began service | July 1, 2020 |
Predecessors | Various private bus companies via EDSA (as LTFRB franchise route) |
Route | |
Route type | Bus rapid transit |
Locale | Metro Manila, Philippines |
Start | Monumento |
Via | EDSA Macapagal Boulevard |
End | PITX |
Length | 28 km (17 mi) |
Stops | 21 |
Daily ridership | 389,579 (2022) [1] |
Annual patronage | 80,832,186 (2022) [1] |
The EDSA Carousel, also known as Route 1 and formerly and still referred to as Route E, is a bus rapid transit (BRT) system, part of several bus routes in Metro Manila. [2] It is situated along EDSA and other roads, running on a dedicated right-of-way called the EDSA Busway, separated from normal road traffic in most of its stretch by concrete barriers and steel bollards on the innermost lane. [3]
Interim operations began on June 1, 2020, serving as a replacement of the former bus routes along EDSA, acting as an augmentation service to the MRT Line 3 due to the limited capacity restrictions put in place by the general community quarantine in Metro Manila as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines. [4] Full operations began later on July 1, 2020. Intended to be largely served by bus stops along the median, some stops are temporarily served by bus stops on the curbside. [3] [5] [6]
The line is operated by the Mega Manila Consortium Corporation and ES Transport and Partners Consortium under the supervision of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA). [7]
Epifanio de los Santos Avenue is the main thoroughfare of Metro Manila. [8] Traffic congestion has always been a concern in the area and since 2007, the MMDA ordered buses to stay on the two right-most lanes of the road. [9] Plastic barriers were later added in 2016. [10]
A proposal for a bus rapid transit (BRT) system using funds from the World Bank was approved in 2017. [11] EDSA was intended to be the second phase of the implementation of the bus rapid transit system, following Quezon Avenue. [12] Line 2, known as the Central Corridor, will be eventually realized as the EDSA Carousel.
On March 16, 2020, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) imposed a community quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which halted almost all public and private transportation using EDSA. This paved the way for the immediate construction of the EDSA Busway.
Traffic in the EDSA Busway is restricted to authorized city buses, as well as emergency vehicles such as ambulances, firetrucks, and responders to emergencies and vehicles and convoys that have been coordinated beforehand. [13] Enforcement of the Busway is provided by MMDA Regulation No. 20-002, which was signed on July 28, 2020. Public and private motor vehicle drivers that violate the regulation are fined ₱1,000 for each offense. [14]
The EDSA Carousel line is distinct from the World Bank-funded BRT project. [15]
On July 1, 2020, the EDSA Carousel line, also designated as Route E, started its interim operations with a total of fifteen stops in a dedicated bus lane completed by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority. [16] [17]
Due to the increasing amount of passengers as restrictions are slowly being relaxed, volumes of passengers began to increase as well. In the wake of increasing inflation and world market movements affecting currency values, free rides for the EDSA Carousel was announced for the remaining months of then-President Rodrigo Duterte's term. Upon Bongbong Marcos's assumption of the presidency, free rides were extended until the end of 2022, in spite of budgetary concerns. [18] [19] However, the free rides introduced problems of ridership capacity and the amount of buses available to serve passengers during rush hours.
Proposals to privatize the operations of the EDSA Carousel to further improve its services were explored. Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista is open to such proposals, adding these must be "explored expeditiously." [20]
Since the line's opening in June 2020, the total ridership of the line was 130,238,608 commuters within June 2020 to November 2022. From June to December 2020, total ridership has reached a daily average 41,000 to 60,000 passengers, [21] and continued to rise throughout 2021, wherein the daily average of commuters using the line is 129,000 passengers, [22] with its highest record reaching 160,000 passengers in June 2021. [23] Total ridership in 2021 reached 47,104,197. [22]
In 2022, the line's highest record reached a total of 404,010 passengers on October 24, 2022, while the average daily ridership through the year is 389,579 passengers. Total ridership also increased to a new record high, as the line served 80,832,186 passengers. [1] [24]
The line initially had 15 bus stops on its interim launch, [16] with additional stops added in the following months. [25] [26] As of December 31,2022 [update] , 21 bus stops are currently operational. There are 87 operators and 751 authorized buses that serve the entire route. [1]
Selected stops of the Busway also runs parallel to the MRT Line 3 and the northern section of the LRT Line 1. Plans are also underway to expand the Busway system by improving the accessibility and connectivity on various bus stops to nearby transport networks.
Name | Distance (km) | Type [27] | Connections | Location | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Between stops | Total | ||||||
Monumento | — | — | Median | Caloocan | |||
Bagong Barrio | 0.55 | 0.55 | |||||
Balintawak | 1.55 | 2.10 | Quezon City | ||||
Kaingin Road | 0.80 | 2.90 | none | ||||
Roosevelt | 1.10 | 4.00 | |||||
North Avenue | 1.50 | 5.50 | |||||
Quezon Avenue | 1.30 | 6.80 | Median | ||||
Mega Q-Mart | 1.80 | 8.60 | Median | none | |||
Main Avenue | 1.60 | 10.20 | Median | none | |||
Santolan | 0.80 | 11.00 | |||||
Ortigas | 2.40 | 13.40 | Median | Mandaluyong | |||
Guadalupe [lower-alpha 1] | 2.40 | 15.80 | Median | Mandaluyong–Makati boundary | |||
Buendia | — | — | Median | Makati | |||
Ayala | — | 18.80 | Curbside (northbound) Boarding Lane (southbound) | ||||
Tramo [lower-alpha 2] | — | — | Median | Pasay | |||
Taft Avenue | — | 22.00 | |||||
Roxas Boulevard | — | — | |||||
SM Mall of Asia [lower-alpha 2] | — | 24.60 | Curbside | ||||
Macapagal – Bradco Avenue | — | — | Parañaque | ||||
Macapagal – City of Dreams / Ayala Malls Manila Bay | — | — | |||||
PITX | — | 28.10 | Terminal | ||||
Stops, stations and transit systems in italics are either under construction or proposed. |
The line utilizes existing footbridges along EDSA by constructing additional stairways to the center island of EDSA. It also uses some stations of the MRT Line 3 and LRT Line 1 by making use of the train stations' emergency exit stairways. [25] Some bus stops, such as the ones at Ayala (northbound), SM Mall of Asia, and Macapagal Boulevard, still use the existing stops on the curbside, while the southbound Ayala bus stop is located inside One Ayala. [28] [29] Unlike those along EDSA, stops along Macapagal Boulevard are unmarked.
On November 16, 2020, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) signed an agreement with SM Prime Holdings, DM Wenceslao and Associates Inc., and Double Dragon Properties Corp. for the construction of EDSA busway bridges. The bridges will be shouldered by the three companies, seeking to provide safer, convenient, and PWD-friendly walkways for the riding public using the EDSA Carousel stops, and for pedestrians crossing EDSA. [30] The pedestrian bridges were conceptualized with concourses, concierge, ticketing booths, and turnstiles for the automated fare collection system. Ramps and elevators would also be available to provide accessibility for PWDs, senior citizens, and pregnant passengers. The structures will be strategically located at the SM Mall of Asia, SM North EDSA, SM Megamall, Macapagal Boulevard in Aseana City and the corner of EDSA and Macapagal Boulevard. [30] [31] The groundbreaking ceremony for the EDSA Busway Concourse Project was held on May 18, 2021. It was expected to be completed in March 2022, [31] but no updates have been announced since then.
On June 20, 2022, the Department of Transportation announced an additional 11 more stops would be added to the EDSA Carousel, which would bring the total number of stops to 29. [32] The Tramo, Taft Avenue, and Roxas Boulevard stops have since been completed.
As of October 2023, the Kamuning and Philam (Ormoc) stops are under construction. The proposed Cubao, Connecticut, Greenfields, and Estrella stops still remain under consideration, as the location, funding, and feasibility studies are yet to be determined and conducted. [33]
Name [32] | Type | Connections | Location | Status | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Philam QC Ormoc | Median | none | Quezon City | Unopened | |
Kamuning | |||||
Cubao | Unknown | Planned | |||
Connecticut | none | San Juan | |||
Greenfields | Mandaluyong | ||||
Estrella | none | Makati | |||
Magallanes | |||||
Stops, stations and transit systems in italics are either under construction or proposed. |
In 2024, SM Prime and Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista inaugurated the first busway concourse of the Busway route, located along SM North EDSA. The upcoming concourse is the first among three EDSA Carousel Concourse project, which was once part of the Build! Build! Build! project. [34] Other busway concourses being planned are located along the Ortigas Bus Stop, located across SM Megamall, the Roxas Boulevard Bus Stop, which is located across the DoubleDragon Plaza, and the Macapagal – Bradco Avenue, in collaboration with DM Wenceslao. [34] Each concourse will feature a concierge, ticketing booths and turnstiles for the automatic fare collection system. [35]
In a span of two years since the implementation of the EDSA Busway and the start of EDSA Carousel operations, multiple road crashes have been recorded within and outside of the EDSA Busway. [42]
In light of this, the Move As One Coalition, a non-government transport advocacy organization, urged the government to implement at-grade crosswalks and speed limits, widen the EDSA Busway lanes, use safer barriers and BRT-compatible buses, and conduct proper training for bus drivers. [42]
Multiple incidents of private and non-emergency government motor vehicles illegally using the EDSA Busway have been recorded, causing disruptions to EDSA Carousel operations.
Barring exceptional emergency situations, trespassing by unauthorized vehicles is strictly prohibited. Violators will face apprehension, ticketing, and possible revocation of their driver's license, even if they belong to a government agency. Vehicles considered authorized include EDSA Carousel Buses, ambulances carrying patients, responding law enforcement vehicles, fire trucks, and essential on-duty government vehicles and convoys, including those from the MMDA and of the top five government officials (i.e., President, Vice President, Senate President, House Speaker, and Chief Justice), that have been coordinated beforehand. [44]
As of November 13, 2023, the fines for illegally trespassing the EDSA Busway are as follows: [48]
The new fines came into effect through the passing of Metro Manila Council Resolution 23-002. Any driver who attempts to flee from officers automatically incurs a third offense. [47]
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