JANUARY 29, 2026 — EDSA, the country’s busiest highway, will once again be at the center of a traffic experiment. The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is studying a proposal to allow high-occupancy vehicles — those carrying at least 10 passengers — to use the EDSA busway, also known as the Carousel. The idea? Push Filipinos to carpool and, hopefully, unclog the daily gridlock.

MMDA general manager Nicolas Torre III explained, “One of the things we are thinking of doing – but this is not yet approved – is putting on the drawing table the idea of allowing high-occupancy vehicles with 10 or more people to use the busway or special lanes.” 

He added, “This could be one way to encourage our countrymen to carpool.”

Sounds good on paper, but let’s be real — how many private cars in Metro Manila can actually carry 10 people? Unless you’re driving a van or a company shuttle, most vehicles barely reach half that number. 

So is this proposal practical, or is it another policy that looks neat in a press release but struggles in execution? Furthermore, how will authorities ensure proper implementation? Will they count each and every passenger as the vehicle breezes through the busway to ensure there are at least 10? Sounds improbable, if you ask me.

The EDSA busway was launched in 2020 to give buses a faster, safer lane. Unauthorized use comes with a hefty P5,000 fine, escalating to license revocation for repeat offenders. Yet despite these measures, EDSA remains a nightmare: capacity is pegged at 300,000 vehicles, but reality shows a staggering 460,000 cars daily.

Carpooling could indeed help, but the question is whether Filipinos are ready to embrace it. Will commuters trust strangers enough to share rides? Will companies invest in shuttle services for employees? Or will this end up as another “nice idea” that never takes off?

Traffic will never ease if policies remain half-baked. EDSA needs bold solutions, not band-aid experiments.

Do you honestly believe this carpooling scheme will make even the slightest dent in EDSA’s traffic mess?

(Image: Philippine News Agency)