The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Tuesday expressed dismay over motorists who still insist on passing through the EDSA bus lane despite a big increase in fines.

“We were really hoping that the higher penalties will deter the violators. We were shocked that in the morning (of Monday), we already had 333 apprehensions. We ask those that we apprehend, ‘Do you know that the fine is already P5,000?’ Then they reason that they don’t know. We then ask them, ‘Do you know that you aren’t allowed on the busway?’ then they say yes,” MMDA Task Force Special Operations Chief Bong Nebrija told the “Bagong Pilipinas” briefing.

“So, I mean, whether it’s 1,000 (pesos) or 5,000 (pesos), the mere fact that they know it’s prohibited means that they shouldn’t be doing that,” he added.

Nebrija said they have had 409 apprehensions so far, 197 of which took place Tuesday morning.

He expects the number of violators to decrease in the following days with motorists having adjusted to the higher fines.

“I think this is a good number right now which is lower than the apprehensions we had yesterday. I hope this downward trend continues so we will have fewer apprehensions eventually,” Nebrija said.

“In all policies, we are allowing everyone to adjust in the first two or three days--the enforcers and the motorists. But then again, it will settle down and the number will plateau. So I think, come Thursday or Friday and the next weeks ahead, we will have fewer apprehensions in the bus lane,” he said.

Nebrija reminded the public that motorists who try to escape apprehension will be immediately fined P20,000 and face a one-year suspension of their driver’s license.

Based on the MMDA Regulation No. 23-002, the increased fine for the first offense is P5,000, second offense is P10,000, third offense is 20,000, a one-year suspension of the driver’s license, and a road safety seminar; and the fourth offense is P30,000 and a recommendation to Land Transportation Office (LTO) for the revocation of the driver’s license.

The EDSA bus lane is a designated lane for EDSA carousel buses, ambulances, and marked government vehicles responding to emergencies. Jaspearl Tan/DMS