MC Taxi operators agree with gov't plans to make travel faster and smoother during EDSA rehab
These past few days, many of the motorcycle-focused Facebook groups have been busy with topics such as the EDSA Rehabilitation Project, No Contact Apprehension Program (NCAP), and the Motorcycle Lane (MC Lane).
Today, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has announced that the three major ride-hailing app operators support the government’s plans for smoother and faster travel on EDSA, including the imposition of the EDSA MC Lane, which is part of the overall strategy to improve traffic flow during the EDSA rehab, projected to continue until 2027.
“Nagpahayag naman ng suporta ang mga dumalo sa pulong na binubuo ng representatives ng Grab, Move It, Angkas, at iba pang grupo sa mga plano ng pamahalaan para sa mas maayos at mabilis na biyahe sa EDSA.”
(Those who attended the meeting, composed of representatives from Grab, Move It, Angkas, and other groups, expressed their support for the government's plans for a smoother and faster commute on EDSA.)
From the MMDA’s perspective, bringing back the MC Lane along EDSA is aimed at reducing the possibility of road crashes among motorcyclists, since they can no longer ‘weave in-and-out’ of traffic. These road crashes could slow down the flow of traffic, says MMDA Chairman, Atty. Don Artes.
“Para po huwag mag-liko liko yung ating mga motorsiklo, na magko-cause po ng accident, magko-cause ng slow down, gagawan po natin sila ng exclusive motorcycle lane sa kanan. Pero yun po ay idi-discuss pa namin ni Sec. Vince sa mga stakeholders.”
(So that our motorcycles won’t swerve in and out of traffic, which could cause accidents and slow down traffic flow, we will create an exclusive motorcycle lane for them on the right side. But that will still be discussed by me and Secretary Vince with the stakeholders.)
Not a ‘happy camper’
Now, from the motorcycle community’s perspective, particularly the group Motorcycle Rights Organization (MRO), it’s just plain discrimination and restricts what a motorcycle was designed for: mobility.
“If the MC Lane continues, the riders who already got into an accident and those who will get into an accident would be the responsibility of the MMDA who refuses to acknowledge that their ‘segregation lane’ [MC Lane] is not giving us the safety or discipline that it intends,” said MRO Chairman, Jobert Bolanos.
MRO also argues that the MC Lane restricts mobility, and coupled with the NCAP, forces riders into a single lane, reducing their safety margin. The lack of equality, says MRO, despite paying the same road taxes as other vehicles, is also a point of contention, viewing segregation as a form of oppression and discrimination, leading to regression rather than advancement.
