EDSA Carousel — LLMpedia

EDSA Carousel
Name	EDSA Carousel
Locale	Metro Manila, Philippines
Type	Bus Rapid Transit
System	Department of Transportation (Philippines)
Status	Operational
Start	Monumento
End	Taft Avenue
Opened	2020
Operator	Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board
Map state	collapsed

Contents

EDSA Carousel

The EDSA Carousel is a bus rapid transit corridor operating along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, serving Metro Manila and linking major nodes such as Monumento, Centris, MRT Line 3, Taft Avenue, Quezon City, and Pasay City. Conceived during the COVID-19 pandemic as an alternative to suspended rail services, it integrates infrastructure and operations managed by the Department of Transportation (Philippines), the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, and local government units including Quezon City and Manila. The project intersects with national initiatives like the Build! Build! Build! program and urban transit strategies influenced by agencies such as the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the Asian Development Bank.

Overview

The corridor runs along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue and connects with mass transit nodes like MRT Line 3, LRT Line 1, LRT Line 2, and transport hubs like Quezon Memorial Circle and Ninoy Aquino International Airport terminals, while traversing administrative areas including Caloocan, Quezon City, San Juan, Mandaluyong, Makati, and Pasay City. It was implemented under directives from the Department of Transportation (Philippines) and operational guidance from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, aligning with commuter relief plans produced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design principles referenced international models such as TransMilenio and Metrobus systems, and coordination involved entities like the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority and transport unions represented by the Federation of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association.

Plans for a dedicated busway on Epifanio de los Santos Avenue date back to studies by the Japan International Cooperation Agency and proposals during administrations of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Benigno Aquino III, with renewed urgency after the 2019 closure of segments on MRT Line 3 and the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic under Rodrigo Duterte. Emergency operations commenced in 2020 following resolutions by the Department of Transportation (Philippines) and directives from the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases. The project drew comparisons to global corridors like Bogotá, Curitiba, and Istanbul schemes and involved consultations with stakeholders including the Philippine National Police, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, and local mayors such as those from Quezon City and Caloocan.

The dedicated median busway runs from Monumento southward past key intersections including Balintawak, Quezon Avenue, North Avenue, Ortigas Avenue, Ayala Avenue, and terminates near Taft Avenue interchanges, linking with nodes like North Avenue MRT Station and Taft Avenue LRT Station. Operations are managed through zonal dispatch overseen by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board with staging areas coordinated alongside municipal traffic plans from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority and barangay offices. Service patterns include trunk routes and feeder services integrating with operators registered under franchises from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board and coordinated by the Department of Transportation (Philippines). Enforcement and traffic regulation involve the Philippine National Police and city traffic enforcement units from Makati City and Pasay City.

Vehicles deployed include wheelchair-accessible articulated and rigid buses procured from manufacturers informed by procurement rules under the Department of Transportation (Philippines) and financed through arrangements similar to multilateral projects like those by the Asian Development Bank and bilateral partners including the Japan International Cooperation Agency. Fleet features electronic fare collection compatible with national initiatives such as the Beep card system used on MRT Line 3 and LRT Line 1, CCTV systems comparable to standards in Singapore, and real-time passenger information systems similar to those in Seoul and Hong Kong. Maintenance and depot arrangements coordinate with regional operators registered with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board and technical standards referenced in publications by the Department of Transportation (Philippines).

Ridership surged during periods of reduced rail capacity, affecting commuters traveling to employment centers like Ortigas Center, Makati Central Business District, Bonifacio Global City, and institutional hubs including University of the Philippines Diliman and Philippine General Hospital. The corridor influenced modal shifts noted by studies from the University of the Philippines, academic centers like Ateneo de Manila University, and transport research groups collaborating with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority. Economic impacts touched retail areas around Cubao, TriNoma, and SM Mall of Asia, while urban planning discourse involved agencies such as the National Economic and Development Authority and policy debates in the House of Representatives of the Philippines and the Senate of the Philippines.

Operational challenges included traffic collisions, passenger crowding during peak periods, and enforcement disputes addressed by the Philippine National Police and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board. Safety audits referenced standards from international bodies comparable to the International Association of Public Transport and involved coordination with emergency services including the Philippine Red Cross and local fire departments from Quezon City and Makati City. Investigations into major incidents engaged oversight from agencies such as the Office of the Ombudsman and legislative inquiries in committees of the House of Representatives of the Philippines.

Proposals for permanent conversion into a full bus rapid transit system or integration with proposed rail projects like the MRT Line 7, extensions of MRT Line 3, and network plans under the Philippine National Railways modernization program have been discussed by the Department of Transportation (Philippines), the National Economic and Development Authority, and international partners like the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the Asian Development Bank. Alternative options include elevated busways, dedicated terminals near Ninoy Aquino International Airport, and multimodal interchanges at hubs such as North Avenue and Taft Avenue, with financing mechanisms explored through public-private partnerships involving corporate entities and local governments like Quezon City and Makati City.

Category:Public transport in Metro Manila