The Metro Manila Development Authority or MMDA is proposing two new crazy number coding schemes in a bid to lessen the worsening traffic situation.
Though traffic improved in 2020 and 2021, mostly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, (Cubao to Makati in five minutes…yay) things are starting to go back to normal. And normal means having to drive through a grid lock on a daily basis.
Things became so bad that the
number coding scheme remained despite the Metro shifting to the stricter Alert Level 3 in January
(subsequently, Metro Manila has been downgraded to Alert Level 1).
According to the
Inquirer
though, newly installed MMDA chairman Romando Artes said they were mulling new number coding schemes in a bid to lessen the number of vehicles on the road.
Quoting the story:
The first proposal aims to cut down traffic by 50 percent. It will ban vehicles having registration plates with odd last numbers — 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 — off public roads on Monday and Thursday from 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM and from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM.
Vehicles with registration plates ending on even numbers — 2, 4, 6, 8, 0 — will be banned from public roads on Tuesday and Friday during the same hours.
This means that all vehicles are allowed to use public roads every Wednesday.
The second aims to cut down traffic by 40 percent. It would also ban vehicles from public roads for two weekdays during the same hours. But it appears to be more complicated.
Plates with the following last numbers would be barred on certain days under this scheme:
Monday: plate numbers ending in 1, 2, 3, 4
Tuesday: plate numbers ending in 5, 6, 7, 8
Wednesday: cars with plate numbers ending in 9, 0, 1, 2
Thursday: cars with plate numbers ending in 3, 4, 5, 6
Friday: cars with plate numbers ending in 7, 8, 9, 0
Under the current number coding scheme, vehicular volume is reduced 20 percent on a daily basis according to the MMDA. Plate numbers ending in 1 and 2 are barred every Monday; 3 and 4 every Tuesday; 5 and 6 every Wednesday; 7 and 8 every Thursday; and 9 and 0 every Friday. It used to be from 7 AM to 7 PM, but was modified to run only from 5 PM to 8 PM due to the ongoing pandemic.
Are you in favor of a new number coding scheme to reduce traffic?
Keyword: MMDA Is Thinking About A Crazy New Number Coding Scheme