Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez has relieved the head of the Special Action and Intelligence Committee for Transportation (SAICT) following an incident involving an ambulance on the EDSA Busway last Monday.
Reports said the SAICT official flagged down the ambulance for using the busway because it was transporting a patient for a medical check-up and not an emergency. The ambulance was later allowed to proceed.
Lopez clarified that under Department of Transportation (DOTr) policy, all on-duty ambulances are allowed to use the EDSA Busway, regardless of the patient’s medical condition. The policy, issued in November 2023, also permits fire trucks and Philippine National Police (PNP) vehicles to use the dedicated lane.
The DOTr expressed sympathy to the patient’s family and assured the public that enforcement policies will be carried out with compassion, with public safety as the agency’s top priority.
To prevent similar incidents, the DOTr has directed SAICT to conduct a reorientation of personnel assigned to the EDSA Busway to ensure proper understanding and implementation of existing policies.
The EDSA Busway Project, a flagship program of the DOTr supported by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), aims to improve mass transit efficiency, safety, and accessibility along EDSA, Metro Manila’s main thoroughfare.
The busway served 66,669,287 passengers in 2025, up from 63,022,953 in 2024, reflecting continued growth in ridership.
