Double-decker bus for the EDSA carousel?
A Redditor’s post about using double-decker buses for the government’s bus rapid transit line sparked a discussion on whether it is feasible or not.
Reddit user u/EuphoricCard674 on Thursday shared a picture of a double-decker with the caption: “Why Department of Transportation didn’t use double deck bus in EDSA bus carousel?” [sic]
The post has been upvoted at 91%.
The insight earned several comments from Filipinos, with the majority disagreeing with the thought.
Some Redditors commented that double-decker buses could not pass through major roads in the metro due to the presence of overpasses and flyovers.
“Simple: Masyadong maliit ang mga overpass sa mga Double Decker na bus,” the comment reads.
“Siguro ‘yung main issue diyan is ‘yung height niyan is lagpas sa vertical clearance, kaya ‘di maimplement,” another Reddit user wrote.
Double-decker buses come in different sizes, which depend on their model and the manufacturer.
Specifications vary from model to model but modern double-decker buses are reported to be around 15 feet tall, eight feet wide and 40 feet long.
Meanwhile, others were more concerned about bus drivers’ skills in terms of potentially operating it, claiming that they are typically reckless on the road.
“Given na kaskasero ang typical na Pinoy bus driver, mas malala sila magmaneho ng double decker. These buses require real professional driving skills lalo na’t mas mabilis madi-disgrasya mga nakaupo sa taas,” another Redditor said.
“Have you ever experienced riding the mini bus from Sta. Cruz, Manila to Bulacan or Novaliches before? If you do… you will know the answer why… daig mo mag-thrill ride sa theme park. Lols,” a different Reddit user wrote.
“Bago ‘yan, ayusin din muna mga driver. Kahit pa anong klaseng sasakyan ibigay sa mga driver, kung ‘yung nilagay mo eh walang disiplina, useless din,” commented another Pinoy.
The EDSA bus carousel is a bus rapid transit line that is part of the bus routes in Metro Manila.
It has an exclusive right-of-way on a dedicated bus lane separated from the normal road traffic on the busy thoroughfare.
Doubble-decker buses have once plied the streets of Manila in the past, beginning in post-World War II.
By the early ’80s, they gained more prominence with the appearance of the “Love Bus” line.
According to Ned Reyes, grandson of the founder of the Manila Motor Works, Hong Kong and Singapore were already using double-decker buses in the city.
He said that Manila wanted to do the same at that time.
Reyes said it did not last long since the buses weren’t standardized, which is “the first rule of transit operations.”
He added that double-decker buses had “dozen different brands with a dozen different specifications and a dozen different sets of replacement parts.”
“They did not have any aftermarket support. No parts. So over time, you would cannibalize one unit after another to keep the other units going, until you get down to zero,” Reyes said.
