The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority is done playing nice with bus lane violators. A few days after announcing that they’ll be imposing higher fines on any unauthorized vehicle that is caught using the bus-exclusive EDSA carousel lane, the MMDA has done exactly that.

In an operation done a day ago, the MMDA has started aggressively implementing the new fines on vehicles that are not buses, emergency response vehicles, or authorized vehicles plying the EDSA carousel lane. While vehicles of all makes and models were nabbed during the operation, a large chunk of those were motorcycles, a few of which tried to evade the MMDA’s enforcers because of the higher Php 5,000 fine first offense fine.

They were eventually caught, and because they tried to weasel out of the Php 5,000 first-offense fine, they were slapped with an even higher Php 20,000 third offense fine and an automatic 1-year suspension of their driver’s license.

According to the MMDA, 514 motorists were issued tickets for violating the Bus Lane guidelines, which we’re sure is just a fraction of the people who regularly flaunt rules for this stretch of EDSA. Of course, we’re hoping that that will change as the MMDA puts the screws on violators. Motorists previously did not take the MMDA’s warning to not use the bus lane in part because of the lower, Php 1,000 fine for first offenders. Obviously, that’s no longer the case. The MMDA is also advocating for the return of the no-contact apprehension policy (NCAP) that was put in place last year to help them catching bus lane violators. The NCAP is currently on hold due to a TRO issued by the Supreme Court last August 30, 2022.