Over 10 million commuters use EDSA busway

MANILA, Philippines — The EDSA bus carousel proved to be a reliable mode of transportation for commuters in Metro Manila after it logged a surge in ridership in the first two months of 2025, said an agency under the Department of Transportation on Friday.

In a statement, the Special Action and Intelligence Committee for Transportation (SAICT) said 10,392,433 passengers used the exclusive busway from Jan. 1 to Feb. 28.

“That’s a jaw-dropping 34 percent leap from the 7,753,608 riders recorded over the same period in 2024,” the SAICT said.

According to SAICT, 5,503,388 people rode buses in the EDSA busway in January, higher by 42 percent from the 3,864,473 people in January 2024.

It added that the busway transported 4,889,045 commuters in February, or an increase of 25 percent from the 3,889,135 compared to the same period last year.

“The numbers don’t just reflect a trend; they herald a quiet revolution in a city long shackled by gridlock,” the SAICT said.

An average of 317 buses traverse the EDSA bus lane each day.

Travel time from Monumento in Caloocan City to the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) “have shrunk to a brisk 45 minutes to an hour.”

The busway will be rehabilitated starting this month and is expected to be completed in time for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in 2026.

Previously, Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon said the agency would keep another lane exclusively for buses “because if we mix them up it becomes a little difficult for commuters,” referring to merging buses with other vehicles along one of Metro Manila’s busiest highways.