The Inter-Agency Council for Traffic (I-ACT) on Monday welcomed commuters coming back to Metro Manila after the long holiday break.

In a Facebook post, I-ACT announced there was a moderate volume of commuters during the morning rush hour at the North Avenue and Quezon Avenue stops of the Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue (EDSA) Bus Carousel in Quezon City.

Aside from facilitating the city buses running along EDSA, it said I-ACT personnel also stringently enforce Covid-19 protocols or the “7 Commandments in Public Transportation”.

These include the mandatory wearing of face masks and shields, no talking or answering phones, no eating, ensuring adequate ventilation, regular and frequent disinfection, barring Covid-19 symptomatic passengers, and physical distancing.

Ret. Brig. Gen. Manuel Gonzales, I-ACT chief and Department of Transportation Assistant Secretary for Special Concerns, asked all passengers and drivers alike to follow these health protocols to help curb the spread of Covid-19.

“Simple steps like wearing a facemask coupled with a face shield, physical distancing, and frequent sanitation can go a very long way in curbing the spread of Covid-19 for our collective safety,” Gonzales said.

The EDSA Carousel, also known as the EDSA Busway, is a bus rapid transit system running along the two innermost lanes of EDSA which began operating on June 1, 2020.

The EDSA Busway currently has 21 stations and utilizes footbridges along EDSA and some stations of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3). (PNA)