By Jovee Marie de la Cruz | Business Mirror | June 1, 2015

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Monday opposed the proposal suspending the number-coding scheme for public utility buses whenever the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT 3) breaks down.

During a House Committee on Metro Manila Development hearing, MMDA General Manager Corazon Jimenez said that suspending the number-coding scheme for buses will only worsen the traffic congestion at Edsa. At least 225,000 vehicles pass through along the 26-kilometer Edsa stretch every day.

“We are strongly in opposition to the proposed suspension of bus coding scheme,” he said.

The panel hearing was conducted after it received appeals from bus operators to suspend the number coding scheme for buses.

Jimenez said that there is an oversupply of buses at Edsa which also affect the traffic along the avenue.

Jimenez, citing a study of Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), said there was already an oversupply of at least 5,000 buses on EDSA while there is an estimated 1,500 “colorum” buses.

Meanwhile, MRT general manager Roman Buenafe said that only 7 trains MRT 3 were operational on Monday because of problems with the trains’ air-conditioning units.