ANALYSIS: The new Love Bus route along C-5 is great, but can it ease traffic?

Its impact depends on whether drivers actually switch from private vehicles to the free bus.

Metro Manila authorities introduced a new route and a new electric fleet to Love Bus, the government’s free bus service, with the aim of giving commuters another option along C-5 Road (officially President Carlos P. Garcia Avenue).

The bigger question is whether it can actually make a dent in one of Metro Manila’s busiest roads.

The Metro Manila Development Authority launched the fully electric bus fleet under the national government’s Love Bus program on Sept. 9, while also debuting a new route connecting Robinsons Galleria and Eastwood City.

The bus route crosses several major business districts along C-5, including Ortigas, Bridgetowne, Arcovia, and Eastwood.

It is meant to fill a public transportation gap in an otherwise bustling commercial corridor, where workers can still find it difficult to get to and from work.

While a handful of bus, jeepney, and UV Express lines pass through the area, reaching the actual business districts can still require a considerable walk or another ride, including an expensive ride-hailing trip. This can be especially difficult during the rainy season.

The MMDA plans to expand the service further, with three more routes in the pipeline that would also cover public transport gaps along C-5: Makati City Hall–Mandaluyong City Hall–Pasig City Hall, Estancia West Wing–Uptown Transport Terminal, and Eastwood City–University of the Philippines Diliman.

The development comes amid mounting complaints of traffic along segments of C-5. While some may point to the construction of the Metro Manila Subway and flooding caused by consecutive rains as major factors, commuters also complain about the volume of private cars along the busy road.

The new bus route can help commuters along C-5, but a free bus service does not automatically mean fewer cars on the road.

Whether the Love Bus makes a meaningful dent in traffic will depend on how many commuters choose it over driving or other private modes of transport.

Originating as a government project in 1976, the Love Bus was revived in 2025 in select regions across the country.

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