MMDA: Only Ambulances with Patients Allowed in EDSA Bus Lane
Should ambulances need to be ferrying patients to be allowed use of the
EDSA Bus Lane?
What about ambulances rushing on an emergency call towards a patient
needing medical attention such as victims of road and other accidents or
persons suddenly having a heart attack?
This is now being looked at by the MMDA, according to acting chairman
Romando Artes.
Artes was commenting on reports of ambulances being flagged down on the
EDSA Bus Lane with sirens and blinkers but not without patients on board.
According to reports, while some of the ambulance drivers admitted that
they were not on an emergency call and were merely trying to avoid traffic.
Others however claimed they were rushing on emergency to get to patients.
News reports quoted enforcers from the DOTr Special Action and Intelligence
Committee for Transportation, that ambulances can't use blinkers and sirens
if not transporting patients.
Transportation authorities have been cracking down on ambulances misusing
their blinkers and sirens and getting on EDSA Bus Lane.
Ambulances, especially those donated to barangays and LGUs, are notorious
for being used not for emergencies. Crackdowns on ambulances misusing the
EDSA Bus Lane won't really be an issue, if people can trust them to be used
only for real emergencies. But experience shows right-thinking people
can't.