A viral video of stalled vehicles blocking a rushing ambulance inside the EDSA busway is making the rounds on social media.
In a two-minute video uploaded on Facebook by netizen Bernadette Co on Wednesday, traffic is seen building up inside the EDSA busway in Cubao northbound. At the end of the line, an ambulance with sirens blazing is stuck in place. A member of the ambulance medical team, clad in PPE, even alighted to see what the problem was.
In front, a silver SUV with red plate and government markings is helplessly maneuvering; while two MMDA personnel are pushing away a concrete barrier to open an exit path for it. Turns out, a shuttle service van ferrying frontliners from St. Lukes BGC had a flat tire, blocking the entire EDSA busway. A white taxi, the government SUV and ambulance are all behind it, unable to move forward.
According to a news report aired on TV Patrol, a mobile of MMDA arrived on scene and gave the shuttle van driver a ticket for the stalled vehicle violation.
“Na-flat-tan, and then walang jack. It could have been easier to remove him, mapalitan yung gulong kung meron syang gamit kaso wala. It’s LTO who will ticket them, and I don’t know what penalty they have. Ang sa amin, tinicket namin sila ng stalled vehicle, which is P500,” says MMDA EDSA Traffic Management chief Bong Nebrija in the news report.
MMDA general manager Jojo Garcia also clarified the policy regarding the use of the EDA busway. “Ang authorized lang po talagang dumaan diyan is ambulance, firetruck and marked vehicles po. Kasi pag may mga emergency cases po, talagang pinapayagan namin diyan,” he clarifies.
The MMDA said that it will be deploying added traffic enforcers and tow trucks to be dispatched on quick notice to avoid further untoward incidents inside the busway.