DOTr: Concrete barriers safe, drivers to blame for crashes

MANILA: The DOTr (Department of Transportation) stated unequivocally that the concrete barriers installed on EDSA to separate private vehicles from PUBs (public utility buses) pass global standards and are safe.

According to DOTr Assistant Secretary Goddes Hope Libiran, the width of the EDSA busway follows international standards as well at 3.2 to 3.5 meters. Rogue drivers are to blame for the collisions that have caused damage to private and public property.

“Yan ang sinusunod ng MMDA [Metropolitan Manila Development Authority>. Pero kahit gawin mong five to 10 meters ‘yan, kung nuknukan naman ng pagka-pasaway at barubal ang bus driver, babangga pa rin sa barrier ‘yan (That’s the standard followed by the MMDA. But even if we extend that to five to 10 meters, if drivers continue to be disobedient and drive in an unsafe manner, they will crash into the barrier),” said Libiran.

Libiran cites that of the minimum 36,000 trips that city buses have made on the busway in the last two months, there have been less than 10 recorded incidents of buses colliding with barriers.

“Bakit naman karamihan may disiplina? Huwag ninyong isisi sa barrier. Hindi gumagalaw mga ‘yan unless banggain. Hindi sila ang problema. Ang problema, nasa mga driver na walang disiplina (Why is it that the majority are disciplined? The barriers are not to blame. They do not move unless hit. These are not the problem. The problem is with drivers who have no discipline),” Libiran added.

Over the last two weeks various PUBs have been caught on motorists’ dashcams speeding and crashing into barriers and sending them onto the greater part of EDSA causing accidents with private vehicles.

An SUV also recently collided with a barrier and the force of the impact caused it to fall on its side. It caused heavy traffic on both lanes of EDSA.

Photo from the MMDA Facebook page

Also read: LOOK: New markers installed on EDSA Busway barriers