Despite the heavy vehicular traffic due to the holiday rush and the ongoing transport strike by several groups, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is not keen on lifting the number coding scheme.
Interviewed on Unang Balita on Wednesday, MMDA Assistant General Manager for Operations David Vargas said the traffic situation remains “manageable.”
“Wala pang abiso ang ahensiya pero personally, hindi na ho tayo magsu-suspend ng number coding dahil manageable naman ang traffic,” he said.
(There is no advisory yet from MMDA but personally I think there is no need to suspend the number coding scheme because the traffic situation is still manageable.)
The number coding scheme bars vehicles, depending on the last number of their license plate, on EDSA and other thoroughfares during the hours of 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Transport groups PISTON and MANIBELA are conducting a two-week transport strike, or until December 29, to protest the PUV Modernization Program.
According to Vargas, they are expecting the traffic to improve by next week since many people in Metro Manila will already be in the provinces spending the holiday season.
“Paglipas ng 25 ay halos nakauwi na ang ating mga kababayan sa kanilang mga probinsiya,” he said.
(After the 25th many of our countrymen will already be in their respective provinces.)
The MMDA has monitored a 20% increase in the volume of vehicles during the holiday season.
To address this, Vargas said they deployed additional enforcers to direct the traffic. These enforcers, he said, will be on the streets until midnight and will have no day-off for the meantime.
“‘Yung enforcers natin, pinahaba ‘yung schedule nila hanggang alas dose na and meron tayong no-day-off policy,” he said.
(The schedules of our traffic enforcers have been extended until 12 and we have a no-day-off policy.) —KBK, GMA Integrated News
