MMDA: Number coding may resume next year

MANILA, Philippines — The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will consult with mayors before implementing again the number coding scheme next year, an official said yesterday.

“We will consult the plan with Metro Manila mayors,” MMDA spokesperson Celine Pialago said in an interview on dzBB.

Mayors in the National Capital Region comprise the Metro Manila Council, which is the policy-making body of the MMDA.

The unified vehicular volume reduction program has been suspended since President Duterte placed Luzon under enhanced community quarantine in mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The number coding scheme has not been reinstated due to limited public transportation, Pialago said.

She said out of 510 city buses allowed to use the EDSA busway, the MMDA has registered only an average of 230 buses.

Public utility vehicle routes should be restored completely before reviving the number coding scheme, according to Pialago.