P500 Fine Meted Out Today to Violators of Motorcycle Lane Policy in EDSA

Violators were meted out a P500 fine as the Motorcycle Lane policy along the 24-kilometer-long Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue (EDSA) was fully implemented today by Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).

Today was the actual implementation of the policy, following the one-week dry run. Traffic enforcers issued a P500 traffic violation tickets to the motorists who were nabbed due to going beyond the “blue lane.” The violator can go to any MMDA office and Metrobank branch to settle the fine. The motorcycle lane runs from Monumento to Pasay-Rotonda. The fourth lane from the sidewalk was the designated EDSA’s motorcycle lane because it has been found to be the safest lane based on its study, according to MMDA.

However, according to the MMDA, the motorcycle lanes are non-exclusive and motorists can deviate from the lane when they are about to take a U-turn, a left or right turn given that they will use the signals and get out of the lane at least 200 meters before they take a U-turn to avoid accidents. MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino said that there has been a steady decrease in the number of the violators since February 14, the first day of dry-run of the program.

The motorcycle riders who were apprehended from February 14 to 17 were given a 15-minute on-the-spot seminar on safe motorcycle driving. The MMDA decided to enforce the traffic scheme that is similar to Commonwealth and Macapagal Boulevard to inhibit further accidents in the metropolis’ roadways. Thus, the MMDA traffic enforcers are designated along the stretch of EDSA for 24 hours starting today.