New SM North EDSA Busway concourse and station open and ready to serve
The SM North EDSA Busway is the newest station – and concourse – to open and serve the commuting public. Despite the exclusive bus lane coming under a lot of scrutiny in the past month, the opening of this new station is only a testament to its usefulness and reason enough why projects and infrastructure like this should be given a chance to defend itself and stay, if only for the safety and convenience of the daily bus riders.
A “gift” for commuters: the SM North EDSA Busway
Photo: Department of Transportation
Now serving as a convenient way for commuters to get on and alight from their bus, and to be able to go to and from SM North, this newest EDSA Busway concourse features well-lit walkways, escalators, elevators, and security systems. All of these ensure the ease of movement for persons with disabilities (PWDs), senior citizens, pregnant, and other vulnerable commuters and mall-goers.
This infrastructure was donated by SM Prime Holdings Inc.
Photo: Department of Transportation
“Para ito sa commuters. Ang project na ito ng bigay ng SM ay hindi para sa DOTr kundi para sa mga komyuter [This is for the commuters. This project given by SM is not for the DOTr, it is for the commuters],” said Department of Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon during the inaugural ceremonies.
The Chief also took the chance to share his Department’s focus which is being able to afford the daily commuter time savings of “at least an hour or two, allowing them to rest and spend time with their families”.
“Kabilin-bilinan ng Pangulo. Kailangan kahit papaano ay makapagbigay tayo ng dagdag na oras sa ating mga kababayan. ‘Yun po ang binibigay nitong busway na ito [This is the President’s instruction. In some way, we must be able to give added time to our countrymen. That is what this busway gives to them],” Dizon said of the newest EDSA Busway station
That said, with the impending roadworks and rehabilitation along EDSA, Dizon assured the public that the busways and stations will remain operational throughout.
“Hinding hindi po mawawala ang busway. Pagagandahin pa po natin ito. Pabibilisin natin ito. Sasabayan na po natin ang pagpapaganda sa ating EDSA Busway habang ginagawa ang pag-rehab sa EDSA [We will not lose the busway. We will improve it. We will make it faster. We will do this to our EDSAS Busway while EDSA is being rehabilitated],” Sec. Dizon noted.
Photo: Department of Transportation
This new EDSA Busway station’s ribbon-cutting ceremony may have just given the public a taste of things to come. In a break from “tradition”, the inauguration was led by actual commuters who use the EDSA Busway. Secretary Dizon was noted to have said that commuters using the bus system must cut the ribbon themselves as the state-of-the-art concourse and the new station are for the busway users who brave daily time-consuming commuting.
The SM North EDSA station and concourse will also serve as the template for other EDSA Busway stations, DOTr’s Dizon added.
If this is (these are)Â the things to come, then we’re all for it!
