MMDA suspends ‘coding’ for 3 weeks

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will suspend the Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program, or the so-called "color-coding" scheme, for three weeks starting Feb. 3.

MMDA Chairman Ba-yani Fernando said the decision was made after several months of consultations with the 17 Metro Manila mayors.

Fernando noted that the suspension is on an experimental basis to determine the impact of the decision on the traffic situation in Metro Manila.

Under the resolution approved by the Metro Manila Council (MMC) yesterday, all local government units, except for Makati City, will be covered by the suspension.

However, the entire stretch of EDSA, C-5 Road and the South Superhighway — some parts of which go through Makati — will also be covered by the suspension.

This means that affected vehicles will not be allowed to enter roads under the jurisdiction of Makati City, such as Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue and Ayala Avenue.

"We were concerned about the inconvenience (of the color-coding scheme) to the public. People have voiced their objections to it," Fernando said.

He said the suspension of the color-coding scheme may be discontinued by any local government at its discretion any time within the three-week period.

Local government officials need only to inform the MMC about their decision in order to discontinue the experiment.

Mandaluyong City agreed to consider the suspension of the color- coding scheme only if it would be on a trial basis. It earlier opposed the lifting of the scheme, along with Makati City.

Jimmy Isidro, chief of staff of Mandaluyong City Mayor Benhur Abalos, quoted the mayor as saying the city is open to trying the suspension to see its impact on traffic.

Makati City Mayor Binay, however, has repeatedly rejected the idea of lifting the scheme because of the volume of vehicles entering the city on a daily basis.

Binay said the color-coding scheme has resulted in a 20-percent vehicle volume reduction in Makati. The city is considered the country’s financial district — its central business district alone is host of the majority of offices of domestic and multinational companies.

On the part of the MMDA, Fernando cited a study which indicated that only 4.5 percent of vehicular volume is reduced by the color-coding scheme.

He admitted that the MMDA could not verify the figure stated by the study, which is why the decision to temporarily suspend the color-coding scheme was considered.

After the three-week period, Fernando said that a final decision will be made on the fate of the scheme. Depending on the results of the trial period, the scheme might be permanently scrapped or a new scheme designed and implemented.

He noted that the council is considering a scheme wherein only a selected implementation of the vehicle reduction program will be applied, particularly in local governments whose areas of jurisdiction have a higher volume of vehicles passing through it.

"This is why there is a need to clear the roads (of all obstructions)," Fernando said, adding that this effort should serve as an incentive to the permanent lifting of the scheme.

He also admitted that the MMDA would lose a significant amount of revenue with the suspension of the vehicle reduction program, but he claimed that the MMDA can compensate for this through other sources.

Fernando noted that traffic enforcers will now focus on going after motorists who commit traffic violations other than that of the color-coding scheme.

Traffic enforcers have been known to spend a great deal of effort checking out the license plate numbers of the vehicles for color-coding violations, neglecting other violations committed by motorists.