What would it take for MMDA to bring back number coding scheme? Abalos answers

Will the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) ever reimpose the number coding scheme?

MMDA Chairman Benhur Abalos said it will depend on certain factors, one of them being the state of public transportation. He said they will wait on the advise of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) on whether or not the sector has normalized.

"Kung ito ay medyo OK na, well we would see no, at kung hindi na po talaga manageable at certain hours ang ating traffic (If it is OK now, well we would see, and if traffic is truly difficult to manage at certain hours)," Abalos said during the Laging Handa public briefing on Thursday, July 1.

"But huwag tayo mag-alala, nakatutok po kami parati dito (But don't worry, we're always looking at this)," the MMDA head honcho told the public.

The agency last made an announcement on number coding last June 16, when it said that the traffic scheme would remain suspended "until further notice”.

Number coding is designed to reduce traffic on roads by banning the use of a certain group of vehicles based on the last digit of their license plate. This was very useful during the pre-pamdemic era when traffic jams were a perennial problem in the metropolis.

All types of public transportation were suspended for weeks in Metro Manila during the initial implementation of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) last year. This was done in an effort to prevent the initial spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said during the same public briefing that there has been a noticeable increase in the volume of vehicles on main thoroughfares, although he noted that traffic was still moving for the most part.