Due to the pandemic, car owners have been enjoying the usage of their vehicles without worrying about getting flagged down by authorities because of the last digit of their plate numbers. I’m talking about the Unified Vehicle Volume Reduction Program (UVVRP), otherwise known as the Number Coding Scheme or just Coding. Before the pandemic, Coding ran implemented from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. without window hours.
Because of the health crisis, the government chose to rescind the implementation of the said regulation, which allowed car owners to use their vehicles whenever they want, especially for essential usage.
But as the health crisis began to soften its blow and the economy started to open up, the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) began to implement a modified version of the Number Coding Scheme. The regulation ran during the afternoon rush hours from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., with the exception of Makati City where it’s implemented from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
That changes on August 15, 2022, as the MMDA announced the reinstatement of the Number Coding Scheme in the morning. Specifically, the modified Number Coding Scheme will run from 7:00 a.m to 10:00 a.m., and that’s in addition to the current 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. regulation.
That said, there will be window hours from 10:01 a.m. to 4:59 p.m., or at least that’s what the new regulation implies. MMDA has yet to finalize the clause at the time of this writing.
Meanwhile, Makati City will retain its implementation of 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Number Coding Scheme without window hours, according to the city’s Public Safety Department (PSD).
According to reports, the modified Number Coding Scheme was agreed upon during the first Metro Manila Council meeting held on August 11, 2022. MMDA Acting Chairman Engr. Carlo Dimayuga said that the opening of classes is expected to increase the number of vehicles in Metro Manila by 13 percent, prompting the agency to enforce the said regulation.
Despite the implementation on August 15, Dimayuga added that the MMDA will not apprehend violators until August 17 to help disseminate the information the public first. The agency will start issuing violation tickets on August 18.
The MMDA is now coordinating with the Department of Transportation for the additional buses and traffic enforcers in light of the announcement.
Of note, number coding covers all registered vehicles, depending on the final digit of the license plate or the vehicle’s conduction sticker should the plate isn’t available yet. Plate numbers/conduction stickers that end with 1 and 2 are not allowed to travel select roads every Monday. The same policy applies on plate numbers 3 and 4 every Tuesday, 5 and 6 every Wednesday, 7 and 8 every Thursday, and 9 and 0 every Friday.
The UVVRP covers all major thoroughfares in Metro Manila, including radial and circumferential roads, along with other major roads such as Alabang-Zapote Road, A. Mabini Street, Marcos Highway, and McArthur Highway. LGUs could also implement their own number coding schemes on certain streets, so it’s better to clarify with your respective authorities.