DOTr highlights plans to improve EDSA Busway efficiency

According to the Department of Transportation (DOTr), over 63 million commuters used the EDSA Busway last year, while a total of 5.5 million commuters made use of the bus system in January 2025 alone – but newly minted DOTr Secretary Vince Dizon thinks there’s still a lot of room for improving the efficiency of the busway.

Sec. Dizon rode the EDSA Bus Carousel from Ortigas to Monumento on his first day as transport chief and observed a few issues on the transport system right away. Those included things such as non-existent clearway finders at busways and MRT-3 stations, faulty timers at bus stops, inconvenient railing stops, and broken elevators.

The DOTr Secretary also suggested a stricter dispatch system beginning at the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) and Monumento Station to guarantee a more predictable travel time for commuters.

As for the upcoming months, DOTr is looking to construct separate busway concourses for passengers to avoid the mix-up of commuters that also use the MRT-3. Sec. Dizon said it will take anywhere between 10 to 14 months to build the new concourses.

Ultimately, the privatization of the Operations and Maintenance (O&M) of EDSA Busway is part of DOTr’s long-term plan. According to the agency, a feasibility study for this will be completed in a few months while the winning contractor will be awarded by around the end of 2026.