From Monumento to PITX: Your Ultimate Guide to the EDSA Carousel

(SPOT.ph) Love or hate the exclusive bus lane, the EDSA Carousel is one of the fastest ways to travel along Metro Manila’s busiest highway, allowing commuters to travel from point A to point B without spending hours in standstill traffic or squeezing into a packed train.

The service runs from Monumento in Caloocan City to the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) in Pasay City. There are 23 northbound stops and 24 southbound stops, covering nearly every major hub along the thoroughfare like Quezon Avenue, Ortigas, Ayala, and Roxas Boulevard. The service also connects with key intermodal terminals like LRT-1 and MRT-3 stations for easier transfers.

The best part? The EDSA Carousel operates 24/7, unlike train services whose last trips usually wrap up by 10 p.m. Buses arrive non-stop, too, which means it usually doesn't take long for a ride to arrive. However, service slows down late at night—especially between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m.—so expect longer waits if you’re catching a ride after midnight.

You'll be glad to know that buses are air-conditioned. Sometimes the coldness is cranked way up, so it’s smart to bring a jacket if you get easily chilly. Seats are also comfortable enough for the long stretch of EDSA, but be prepared to stand during peak hours. According to the Department of Transportation (DOTr), roughly 250,000 commuters rely on the EDSA Carousel every day.

The concept for the EDSA Carousel emerged in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the government needed a way to streamline public transportation along EDSA. What made it distinct was consolidating dozens of fragmented bus franchises into a single, dedicated lane, separated by barriers or bollards, to bypass traffic congestion. Since then, the EDSA Carousel has expanded with more organized stops, better footbridge access, and now a P212-million rehabilitation program to modernize existing stations and build new ones.

If you’ve been meaning to give the EDSA Carousel a try but aren’t sure how it works, here’s everything you need to know—from how much to pay to what to expect once you’re on board.

Fares on the EDSA Carousel follow a distance-based system starting at P15, meaning the longer your trip, the higher the fare. Students, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities are entitled to a 20% fare discount as mandated by DOTr-LTFRB Memorandum Circular 2017-024, bringing the minimum fare down to P12. All fares are rounded off to the nearest P0.25 for convenience.

An end-to-end trip from Monumento to PITX (or vice versa) costs P74.50—a bit steeper than the usual public transportation fare, but reasonable considering it covers nearly 18 kilometers along EDSA.

The full fare matrix can be found at the end of this article.

Since the stations are located along the center island of EDSA, most passengers need to pass through concourses or footbridges to reach them. The stairs can be tiring, especially for those carrying bags or with mobility issues. Take note that only select stations—Monumento, Bagong Barrio, Balintawak, SM North EDSA, Philam, Guadalupe, and One Ayala—are equipped with elevators or escalators to make access easier for seniors, persons with disabilities, and anyone who may need extra assistance getting to and from the platform.

Once in the station, follow the queueing system—there are separate lines for each direction—and wait for station personnel to signal boarding. When the bus arrives, enter through the assigned doors, find a seat, and wait for the conductor to approach you for payment.

Buses are scheduled to stop at every station, but in practice, some will skip stops when no one needs to get off. The conductor will usually call out the next station and ask if anyone is alighting—if no one answers, the bus keeps going to save time. Stay alert and speak up when your stop is called to make sure you don’t miss it.

After taking a seat, the conductor goes down the aisle to collect fares. Just state your destination to know how much you'll need to pay based on distance. It’s best to have cash on hand, ideally small bills and coins.

Select buses also accept GCash payment. Look out for the blue “GCash Accepted Here” sign on the side of the bus before boarding. To pay, open the GCash app and tap “Scan to Pay.” Scan the QR code on the SoundPay device held by the conductor, enter the fare, and confirm payment. There’s no added convenience or transaction fee when paying with GCash.

Read more: GCash Is Now Accepted on the EDSA Carousel

In return, you’ll get a printed ticket receipt, which you should keep with you for the duration of the trip. Conductors occasionally do spot checks to make sure everyone has paid the correct fare, so make sure you don’t throw it away until you’ve stepped off the bus.

This system also runs on an honesty policy. During rush hour, when the bus gets crowded, the conductor can’t always make it through the aisle to collect fares immediately. That said, passengers are expected to call the conductor over when there’s space or to signal when ready to pay.

• PITX (LRT-1 transfer)

• City of Dreams

• DFA

• SM Mall of Asia

• Roxas Boulevard

• Taft Avenue

• One Ayala (MRT-3 transfer)

• Buendia

• Guadalupe (MRT-3 transfer)

• Ortigas (MRT-3 transfer)

• Santolan-Annapolis (MRT-3 transfer)

• Main Avenue

• Nepa Q-Mart

• Kamuning (MRT-3 transfer)

• Quezon Avenue (MRT-3 transfer)

• Philam

• North Avenue (MRT-3 transfer)

• SM North EDSA

• Fernando Poe Jr. / Roosevelt

• Kaingin

• Balintawak (LRT-1 transfer)

• Bagong Barrio

• Monumento

• Monumento

• Bagong Barrio

• Balintawak (LRT-1 transfer)

• Kaingin

• Fernando Poe Jr. / Roosevelt (LRT-1 transfer)

• SM North EDSA North Avenue (MRT-3 transfer)

• Philam Quezon Avenue Kamuning (MRT-3 transfer)

• Nepa Q-Mart Main Avenue Santolan-Annapolis (MRT-3 transfer)

• Ortigas (MRT-3 transfer)

• Guadalupe (MRT-3 transfer)

• Buendia (MRT-3 transfer)

• One Ayala (MRT-3 transfer)

• Tramo

• Taft Avenue (MRT-3 transfer)

• Roxas Boulevard

• SM Mall of Asia DFA

• Ayala Malls / Aseana PITX (LRT-1 transfer)

For questions or concerns, commuters can contact the DOTr Commuter Hotline at 0920-964-3687 or the LTFRB 24/7 Hotline at 1342, or send an email to publicassistance@dotr.gov.ph.

Read more: EDSA Busway to Open Three New Stations by 2026