2-day coding scheme bucked

MANILA, Philippines -  Sen. Grace Poe and three congressmen opposed yesterday the plan of Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Danilo Lim to impose a two-day vehicle coding scheme to ease traffic congestion in the metropolis.

Poe, who heads the Senate committee on public services, said that while she understands the challenges in resolving traffic woes, the MMDA should study the measure carefully before implementing it. 

“While we want an immediate solution to the traffic problem, this should not be a knee-jerk reaction, which will benefit only a few,” Poe said.

She said the MMDA proposed the expanded number coding scheme last year but it was promptly rejected by Metro Manila mayors.

“It is anti-poor and it won’t ease traffic jams,” Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone said.

“Those who have the money will just buy an additional car or two, thus aggravating the problem further. Employees who can’t afford an extra vehicle will become unproductive because the public transport is inefficient,” Evardone said. 

He said the MMDA could adopt measures to help ease traffic such as clearing major roads of obstructions and stricter enforcement of traffic laws.

Under the present number coding scheme, a vehicle owner is banned from using his car one day in a week. There used to be window hours when the owner was allowed to use his vehicle. The ban is now for the entire day.

Those whose license plates end in 1 and 2 are banned on Monday; 3 and 4 on Tuesday; 5 and 6 on Wednesday; 7 and 8 on Thursday, and 9 and 0 on Friday. There is no number coding during weekends and holidays.

Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo said a two-day coding scheme would inconvenience employees and other income-earners who own only one car.

A one-day ban is a big sacrifice on the part of these taxpayers, Castelo said.

“These days, owning a car is no longer a luxury. It is a necessity, what with the worsening traffic problem,” he said.

He added that only vehicle manufacturers and traders would be happy with a two-day coding scheme.

Parañaque Rep. Gus Tambunting said it would be unreasonable and unjust for the authorities to deprive people of using their cars for two days a week.

“The real problem of traffic congestion is rooted in the volume of vehicles along major thoroughfares. The logical solution is to reduce volume. The question is how,” he said.

“There should be a comprehensive approach to the problem,” he added.

Tambunting pointed out that an expanded number coding would not result in vehicle volume reduction.

It would result in people buying more cars to go around the coding rule, he said.

Rep. Lito Atienza of party-list group Buhay said the key to easing traffic congestion is consistency in the strict implementation of traffic rules.

Celine Pialago, spokesperson for the MMDA, said the proposed expanded number coding scheme would be studied thoroughly before being implemented.

“Chairman Lim was just floating the idea of a two-day number coding to get the people’s pulse on the matter,” Pialago said. 

She said they would discuss the proposal with the mayors during the Metro Manila Council (MMC) meeting next month.

The MMC is the policy-making body of the MMDA.