The Metro Manila Development Authority is considering extending for one more week the dry run activity for the implementation of the High Occupancy Vehicle lane, a scheme formulated to encourage motorists to engage in ride sharing and further improve traffic along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue.
The move, according to MMDA supervising officer for operation Edison Nebrija, needs further studies to be conducted by the Technical Working Group to be formed by the agency in close coordination with the Department of Transportation.
Nebrija admitted that heavily-tinted vehicles using the lane prevented the agency from apprehending possible violators.
“Our assessment will continue until Friday. So far, the problem involves private motorists with heavily-tinted cars. The number of apprehension increased. So dry run until Friday and might extend the next week. We are hoping for the best that is why we will extend dry run for more public information,” he said.
As of 1 p.m. Wednesday, the MMDA monitored about 2,000 vehicles used the special lane, while more than 700 didn’t comply with the policy while at least 800 were heavily-tinted.
The new traffic measure bars vehicles with a single rider or occupancy from using the HOV lane, which is the innermost lane of Edsa, closest to the Metro Railway Transit Line 3 wall.
The MMDA made the move after members of the Metro Manila Council, the agency’s governing board and policy-making body, rejected the proposal of lawmakers to implement an odd-even scheme along Edsa.
With the new scheme, the agency hopes to decrease by 30 percent the number of private vehicles traversing along Edsa.
The MMDA, however, clarified that HOV vehicles are still subject to existing number coding scheme.
Should the HOV measure is fully implemented, violators will be slapped with citation ticket with P500 fine for disregarding traffic sign.
Aside from ground apprehension, the MMDA will also use closed-circuit television cameras under the no contact apprehension policy.
The scheme would cover the whole stretch of EDSA from Balintawak, Quezon City to Roxas Boulevard in Pasay City which has five lanes: two are designated for public utility vehicles or yellow lanes, while three are designated for private vehicles and motorcycle riders.
