Megawide Construction Corp. wants to cement its place on the country’s busiest highway, setting its sights on a potential deal to privatize and upgrade the EDSA Busway.
Megawide chair and CEO Edgar Saavedra said they plan to bid for the EDSA Busway, also known as the EDSA Carousel, once the government decides to auction the project, whose feasibility is being prepared with the help of the Asian Development Bank.
Started in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the dedicated bus system is capable of handling hundreds of thousands of commuters per day.
“More than 50 percent of EDSA’s volume comes from the EDSA Busway. If this project pushes through, it will impact the profile of traffic,” Saavedra said.
Better commuter experience
Louie Ferrer, Megawide vice-chair and infrastructure development head, said the company is ready to invest in the EDSA Busway to increase capacity and improve the passenger experience.
In face, Ferrer said they can expand the system, which runs alongside the Metro Rail Transit Line 3, to accommodate 1 million commuters daily.
“We hope to remove or reduce the long queues by ensuring the dedicated lane will function well. We can also go digital in terms of the ticketing system,” Ferrer told InsiderPH.
Bid launch in 2025?
The Department of Transportation earlier said the EDSA Busway could be bid out under the Public-Private Partnership scheme in 2025.
Megawide is one of the country’s leading construction and engineering firms. Its projects include the Mactan Cebu International Airport expansion, Clark International Airport expansion, Metro Manila Subway, and the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange.
Miguel R. Camus has been a reporter covering various domestic business topics since 2009.
