An official of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said on Saturday that they will be imposing higher penalties for motorists violating the “Exclusive City Bus Lane/Bus Carousel Lane” regulation along EDSA.

MMDA Director for Traffic Enforcement Group Victor Nuñez reiterated that the bus carousel lane is dedicated for mass transport to encourage passengers to use public transport.

“The idea kung bakit ho exclusive ang bus carousel is for the mass transport eh maging priority, para mapabilis and to encourage iyon mga motorist natin na instead magdala ng sasakyan, try to use the bus carousel na mas mabilis at may exclusive lane,” he told reporters in a news forum in Quezon City.

Nuñez revealed that apprehended motorists who used to pay P1,000 don’t seem to bother the said fee as long as they get away with the traffic, prompting the agency to consider increasing the fines.

From July to September, there have been more than 2,100 apprehensions for exclusive bus lane violations, primarily involving private vehicles, according to Nuñez

“What is P1,000 kaysa ma-late sila. So, we really need to raise the fine para maramdaman nila,” he said.

He further noted that increasing the fine will serve as a stronger deterrent, making it less appealing for private vehicle owners to use the dedicated bus lanes without consequences. |PND