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Starting August 15, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority will re-impose the National Capital Region number-coding scheme in the mornings
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Morning coding will cover three hours instead of just one during pre-pandemic
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Dry run is from August 15 to 17 and apprehensions will start on August 18
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The re-imposition was approved as vehicle volume is expected to increase upon resumption of face-to-face classes on August 22
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MMDA said the initiative will reduce traffic volume by 20% during the morning and afternoon/evening peak hours
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Trucks and vehicles carrying essential and/or perishable goods are exempt from the policy
From August 15, the National Capital Region (NCR) number-coding scheme is back in the mornings but with expanded hours: three hours instead of just one before the pandemic. This is on top of the coding hours of 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on weekdays, except holidays, that are already in effect.
In a statement, the The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will re-implement the scheme (also known as the Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program or UVVRP) every morning—from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., a departure from the pre-pandemic program of 7 a.m. to 8 a.m.
Implementation of the UVVRP was suspended during the height of COVID-19 lockdowns and was re-implemented starting November 2021 but only from 5pm to 8pm.
The re-imposition of the NCR color-coding scheme was approved by the Metro Manila Council (MMC) through MMDA Resolution No. 22-14, signed and adopted on August 11. The MMC, composed of the 17 local government units of Metro Manila, is the governing and policy-making body of the MMDA.
According to the resolution, average daily traffic is fast approaching pre-pandemic levels with the volume of vehicles in NCR expected to increase upon resumption of face-to-face classes on August 22.
“From August 15 to 17, we will start the dry run and will only remind motorists of the expanded number coding scheme. On August 18 onwards, the MMDA will start apprehending and will issue traffic violation tickets on ground and through our non-contact apprehension policy,” MMDA acting chairman Carlo Dimayuga III said.
“Exempted from the UVVRP are public utility vehicles (including tricycles), transport network vehicle services, motorcycles, garbage trucks, fuel trucks, marked government vehicles, trucks, ambulances, marked media vehicles, vehicles carrying essential and/or perishable goods,” Dimayuga added.
During coding hours, vehicles with license plates ending in 1 and 2 are prohibited on NCR main throughfares on Monday; 3 and 4 on Tuesday; 5 and 6 on Wednesday; 7 and 8 on Thursday; and 9 and 0 on Friday.
Existing number-coding ordinances of respective local government units will prevail on secondary roads.
MMDA said the re-implementation of the NCR color-coding scheme will reduce traffic volume by 20% during the morning and afternoon/evening peak hours.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the average number of vehicles plying EDSA daily was at 405,000.
Based on the latest vehicle volume count conducted by the MMDA Traffic Engineering Center on August 4, approximately 387,000 vehicles use EDSA. The volume is expected to soon balloon to 436,000 or higher than pre-pandemic level.
