The Philippine Online Chronicles

The Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will lift the color coding scheme from Tuesday until Friday this week for the sake of citizens who already have to contend with expected heavy traffic during the religious holiday, gmanews.tv reported.

MMDA Chief Oscar Innocentes said in a statement that the Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program (UVVRP), also known as "color coding," will temporarily be lifted for public convenience.

“This way, [people] can travel without any delay, and there will be enough public utility vehicles to ferry passengers all day long,” he said.

Color coding is a scheme which limits vehicles on the road from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. on weekdays based on the last digit registered on license plates.

Oplan Semana Santa

The MMDA will partner with the Department of Transportation and Communications in implementing its assistance program Oplan Semana Santa to control traffic in lieu of color coding.

Under the Lakbay Alalay program, the MMDA Traffic and Transport Management Office will deploy more than 1,000 traffic enforcers to man major thoroughfares, especially Metro Manila exit points such as EDSA.

Majority of traffic enforcers will be assigned to roads leading to provincial bus terminals and other vital installations to guarantee commuter safety, Innocentes said.

They will coordinate with local governments, but will focus efforts in crucial areas and traffic-prone areas like Balintawak, McArthur Highway, Ortigas Avenue Extension, Sumulong Highway, Marcos Highway, Coastal Road, Roxas Boulevard, Alabang, Pasay and Cubao.

“I have ordered our enforcers to strictly enforce the rules so that there will be a smooth flow of traffic,” Innocentes said.