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Double-decker buses may not be the answer to ease crippling traffic on EDSA, an analyst said Tuesday.

The Metro Manila Transport Corp in the 1980s deployed around 20 imported double-deckers on EDSA, but abandoned the plan due to high operating costs, said traffic engineer Rene Santiago.

"Nahirapan silang i-maintain at saka iyong operating cost niya, mas mataas. Napilitan silang ihinto iyon at hindi na i-expand," he told radio DZMM.

(They found it hard to maintain and its operating cost was higher compared to normal buses. They were forced to stop it and not expand their operations.)

A plan to revive double-deckers several years ago also did not prosper, he added.

"Kung idadagdag mo iyan at hindi mo binawasan ang bus, malaking problema. Dapat d'yan, kung magpasok ka ng double-decker, 2 bus, 3 ang tanggalin mo," he said.

(If you're going to add that and you don't reduce normal buses, that will be a big problem. For every double-decker, you should remove 2, 3 buses.)

DZMM, October 16, 2019