Further study must be taken first before deciding to remove the EDSA Bus Carousel, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) acting chairman Romando Artes said on Thursday.

The statement came after the Mega Manila Consortium, composed of operators of city buses, proposed reclaiming the two outermost lanes of EDSA, including the bicycle lane, for buses and reinstating 14 bus stops along the highway.

Artes warned that bringing back passenger buses along the 23.8-kilometer Epifanio de los Santos Avenue under the old system would only cause traffic congestion since the lanes were narrowed to accommodate the bicycle lane.

He noted the importance of considering all factors before making decisions that could impact public transportation and the people who rely on it.

According to Artes, the EDSA Bus Carousel has been effective in moving commuters and has reduced traffic congestion along EDSA.

"Commuter travel time along EDSA was cut in half because of the EDSA Bus Carousel," he said.

Artes added that the government has spent funds to build infrastructure for the new bus system installed along EDSA’s innermost lane and using some of Metro Rail Transit Line 3’s (MRT-3) emergency exits as bus stops and bicycle lanes.

Meanwhile, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) has completed its Bike Master Plan and has continued to build infrastructure under the project.

It is up to the DOTr to decide whether or not to remove the EDSA Bus Carousel, the MMDA Chief said.

The government launched the EDSA Busway project in July 2020 to supplement MRT-3 and its bus augmentation program.

The project seeks to assist commuters in the National Capital Region by reducing travel time from Monumento to the Paranaque Integrated Terminal Exchange from 2 to 3 hours due to traffic to 45 minutes to 1 hour.