(UPDATE) THE Department of Transportation (DOTr) has ordered the deployment of additional bus units along the EDSA Busway to accommodate more passengers as rehabilitation works continue on the major thoroughfare. Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said the move was meant to reduce waiting times and ease congestion, particularly during peak hours. As an additional measure, the DOTr boosted MRT 3 capacity with more Dalian trains. ”At the DOTr, we are deploying more bus units so that our fellow commuters can board more quickly,” Transportation Undersecretary for Road Infrastructure Mark Steven Pastor said in a radio interview. “We have also deployed Dalian trains on the MRT 3 to accommodate more passengers, especially during peak hours.” To support traffic management during the rehabilitation, at least 80 personnel from the DOTr–Special Action and Intelligence Committee for Transportation (Saict) have been deployed on a 24-hour shifting basis. They were tasked with assisting the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the Philippine National Police in managing traffic flow along the EDSA Busway. Pastor said Saict personnel have been stationed at the MMDA Metrobase to monitor busway operations. ”As part of our preventive measures to mitigate the effects of the construction on EDSA, we deployed personnel — particularly from Saict — to assist in traffic management,” he said. Meanwhile, Pastor reported that the Department of Public Works and Highways has completed road reblocking and asphalt overlay works at the EDSA Station. He said access to the station is being restored, allowing the Buendia Busway Station to resume operations. The DOTr added that major upgrades to the EDSA Busway are due next year. Pastor said construction of three additional busway stations in Cubao, Magallanes and the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange will begin in the first quarter of 2026 and is expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of the same year. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed the DOTr to improve the busway’s quality to encourage greater use of public transportation. Pastor said that the new EDSA Busway Kamuning Station is set to be inaugurated in the first quarter of 2026. The Kamuning Station, he said, will be equipped with elevators and escalators to improve accessibility, particularly for persons with disabilities, senior citizens and pregnant women. Pastor said a new footbridge, separate from the MRT 3, is also being built in the area to provide safer and more convenient access for commuters.