MMDA defers carpool lane scheme

MANILA, Philippines — The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) suspended yesterday the implementation of its high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane scheme over its failure to determine if drivers of heavily tinted vehicles are complying with the new policy.

MMDA spokesperson Celine Pialago said the implementation of the scheme will be deferred until the end of the year as they are still discussing ways to deal with the problem.

The HOV lane, also called the carpool lane, is the innermost lane on EDSA or the lane beside the Metro Rail Transit Line 3. Under the scheme, the lane is meant for vehicles occupied by two or more persons.

Driver-only vehicles are supposed to use the two lanes beside the yellow or bus lanes, which are the two outermost lanes.

Pialago added that they are also checking the capability of their traffic enforcers and personnel assigned at their Metrobase who operate the closed-circuit television cameras (CCTVs) before they start apprehending violators of the HOV lane scheme.

She said MMDA officials are set to meet next month to assess the dry run of the HOV lane scheme and come up with possible solutions to the problem of heavily tinted vehicles.

The HOV lane or the carpooling lane was first proposed during the time of former MMDA officer-in-charge Tim Orbos but it did not push through after he could not find a solution to heavily tinted vehicles.

Pialago said despite deferring the HOV lane’s implementation, the MMDA will still hold dry runs to make motorists aware of the scheme. The MMDA will not yet apprehend HOV lane violators, she added.

Meanwhile, Pialago warned the public to expect heavy traffic from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. and from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. starting next week until Christmas Day due to mall sales and Christmas parties.

The MMDA urged motorists to find alternate routes as the agency expects an increase of 10 to 20 percent in the number of vehicles on the road during the Christmas season.

Pialago said they will deploy enough traffic enforces and open the mabuhay or Christmas lanes, which are alternative routes motorists may take to avoid traffic on EDSA.