The worsening traffic along Edsa caused by the huge volume of buses in Metro Manila can still be fixed by reforming the bus market, according to a study published by state think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies.
PIDS president Gilberto Llanto and consultant Hope Gerochi said in a discussion paper the best approach would be the “compete for the market” framework where bus operators would be consolidated into bus consortia, and only those that were complying with the standards set by the government would be able to operate
In addressing pressing traffic problems in the Edsa corridor and also along other major thoroughfares in Metro Manila, reforming the bus market to provide high capacity and efficient bus services is a low-cost and immediate solution,” the authors said.
Bus consolidation is not new to Metro Manila. In 1974, the government established a public utility company to improve the quality of transportation in the metropolis. Metro Manila Transit Corp. produced buses commonly known as the “Love Bus.
PIDS wants reforms in bus transport sector
