Six people have died and 11 were injured in just two years near the EDSA Busway System, according to data from a transport group.
The Move As One Coalition, a coalition of transport advocates, released this information ahead of the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims on November 20.
This annual event acknowledges and remembers the millions of people who have died and have been severely injured due to road accidents in different parts of the world.
This is commemorated every third Sunday of November.
This year, MOAC expressed alarm over the number of road-related deaths and injuries in the Philippines in just a span of two years.
The coalition collated this information from different reports.
“From Nov. 11, 2020, to Nov. 2, 2022, 6 people have died and 13 have been injured in 9 road crashes involving the buses themselves or vehicles crashing into the concrete barriers separating the EDSA Busway from private and other public transport, according to various reports,” MOAC said in a statement.
Here are incidents of “preventable road crashes” that took place on or near the EDSA Busway, according to MOAC’s data:
- Nov. 11, 2020 – A traffic enforcer named George Banez was suddenly hit by an EDSA Busway bus while he was helping a senior person cross EDSA.
- April 19, 2021 – Five unnamed individuals were hurt in a collision between a bus and an ambulance on the busway.
- July 8, 2021 – A child died after he was hit by a bus that he threw rocks at.
- Dec. 27, 2021 – A driver crashed into a concrete barrier.
- Feb. 18, 2022 — Three male Philippine Air Force personnel died and a driver was injured after the latter crashed into concrete barriers along EDSA.
- June 22, 2022 – A driver got injured after crashing into concrete barriers.
- Sep. 12, 2022 – Four individuals were injured after two buses figured in a crash.
- Oct. 11, 2022 – An alleged thief got run over by a bus on the EDSA Busway.
- Nov. 2, 2022 – A man was injured after he was hit by a bus when he tried to jump over a concrete barrier.
Recommended road safety measures
Following these incidents, the coalition urged the government to invest in measures that will improve the EDSA Busway in terms of safety, efficiency, accessibility and capacity.
These measures include the following:
- Building at-grade crosswalks
- Reducing speed limits or installing traffic lights with countdown timers near these crosswalks
- Widening the busway lanes
- Using safer barriers
- Introducing BRT-ready vehicles with doors on the correct side
- Providing proper training for bus drivers
The Coalition also called for stricter implementation of the Anti-Drunk and Drugged Driving Act of 2013 to prevent deadly vehicular accidents, citing that one of the accidents mentioned killed three people.
Moreover, the MOAC emphasized the country’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals of 2030.
It cited the SDG target 11.2, which states:
“By 2030 provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities and older person.”
