Number coding starts today

The Unified Vehicle Volume Reduction (UVVPR) traffic scheme approved by the Metro Manila Council starts today, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) reminds the public.

Private and public utility vehicles (PUV) with license plates ending in 1 and 2 are not allowed on the road on Mondays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. On Tuesdays, license plates ending in 3 and 4 are banned from the roads; 5 and 6 on Wednesdays; 7 and 8 on Thursdays; 9 and 0 on Fridays.

There is no number coding on weekends.

Private vehicles have a window hour from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., where they will be allowed on the roads. However, the window hour is not applicable in Makati City and San Juan.

Exempted from the UVVRP are provincial buses, shuttle buses, school buses and motorcycle units.

These modifications are under the MMC resolution approved on March 11. The modified UVVRP is aimed to ease the worsening traffic situation in Metro Manila.

In a phone interview yesterday, MMDA Traffic Operations Director Angelito Vergel del Dios said President Arroyo had wanted public utility buses (PUBs) exempted from the number coding until after the Iraq crisis. "She did not want the MMDA to reconsider the inclusion of buses during the meeting with the mayors (last Saturday)," de Dios said. But he added Mrs. Arroyo understood that local government units (LGUs) like Makati, already have ordinances in support of the number coding and that these have to be followed.

"It’s up to the LGU to implement their ordinances. And like in Makati, Mayor (Jejomar) Binay is adamant in implementing their ordinance where the number coding stays. You can see that in Makati and San Juan, there’s no window hour for private vehicles," de Dios said. He also admitted that the MMC ordinance is "silent on the PUBs."

"But we are not saying that the buses are exempted. Whatever was approved by the council will be implemented," de Dios said.

PUVs were exempted from the previous UVVRP. But the MMDA proposed the inclusion of the buses after it was determined through the agency’s month long experimentation that they are the cause of heavy traffic in major thoroughfares.

The President reportedly berated MMDA chairman and Public Works and Highways Secretary Bayani Fernando for including the PUBs in the modified number coding scheme.