Number coding schedule restored

THE METROPOLITAN Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said on Tuesday that the number coding traffic scheme has been reinstated from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., on weekdays except on holidays.

The number coding system, formally called the Unified Vehicle Volume Reduction Program (UVVRP), was suspended during the holidays of Dec. 25-26, 2023, and Jan. 1, 2024.

Under the scheme, vehicles are prohibited from traveling on Metro Manila roads based on the last digit of their license plates during the specified coding hours. Plates ending in 1 and 2 are covered on Mondays, 3 and 4 on Tuesdays, 5 and 6 on Wednesdays, 7 and 8 on Thursdays, and 9 and 0 on Fridays.

MMDA said vehicles exempted from the codings scheme include: public utility vehicles, transport network vehicle services, motorcycles, garbage trucks, marked government vehicles, petroleum trucks, media-marked vehicles, fire trucks, ambulances, and vehicles carrying perishable and essential goods.

In a separate statement posted on Facebook on Tuesday, MMDA Chairman Romando “Don” S. Artes reminded motorists to be mindful of special lanes on roads in Metro Manila. In Filipino, he reminded motorists to “stay in their respective lanes for smooth flow of traffic and to prevent accidents.”

The exclusive bus lane policy in EDSA is still in effect, dedicated to carousel passenger buses, emergency vehicles, and government-marked vehicles responding to emergencies. — Jomel R. Paguian