Swedish company Sweco International AB collaborates with the DOTr to improve the EDSA Busway

The EDSA Busway Carousel is a bus rapid transport (BRT) system capable of ferrying 300,000 passengers daily. It first went into service two years ago during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, the busway allows commuters to travel from Monumento, Caloocan to the PITX terminal in Paranaque City, as of December 31, 2022, commuters can choose between 21 bus stops on the route.

With that said, although the Busway is capable of carrying a high volume of commuters in a single day, it is far from perfect. The good news is that the authorities are willing to receive help in making the Busway a better and safer transportation system. 

In comes Sweco International AB, an architecture and engineering consultancy company from Sweden arrived last week to evaluate the busway and provide their findings to local government agencies and officials. Sweco will be collaborating with the Department of Transportation - Road Sector (DOTr) in a week-long evaluation of the Busway system in order to find key areas of improvement and provide recommendations to the DOTr.

The Sweco team led by Mr. William Gastineau-Hills, Mr. Dejan Pijetlovic, and Mr. Francisco Malucelli, conducted an inspection of PITX Bus Bays and observed the traffic flow along the perimeter of PITX. Their main goal is to finalize the study for a one-year contract aimed at providing Technical Support and Evaluation for the EDSA Busway Project. Funding support for this technical support project will come from Swedfund, the Swedish government’s development financier.

The consultants have already presented their findings to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the Department of Transportation (DOTr) last Friday, February 10, 2023. The Sweco team has also provided their recommendations for the design of new EDSA Busway stations.

There is a long road ahead (literally) for local authorities in their mission to improve the EDSA Busway system. In taking the first step by consulting experts for this effort, the local authorities have at least remained true to their commitment to improving the EDSA Carousel Busway.