Transport group to MMDA: Deploy more PUVs before ‘coding’ resumes

(FILE) Traditional and modern jeepneys share space on Pinatubo Street in Mandaluyong City. The government wants to restructure and “modernize” PUVs that are still tied to the traditional boundary system. —NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

MANILA, Philippines — The transport advocacy group The Passenger Forum (TPF) on Sunday urged the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to help deploy more public utility vehicles (PUVs) or provide more mass transport options before the “number coding” scheme resumes in Metro Manila.

“Our group believes that the government is on the right track given the allotment of separate lanes for buses and for bicycles. There are, of course, rooms for improvement,” TPF convener Primo Morillo said in a statement.

“Given that commuters are still wasting hours lining up in order to go to work or get home, we need to reach pre-pandemic levels of passenger capacity first, by adding more PUVs on the road, before we can even ponder on reimposing the number coding scheme,” he added.

This came after the MMDA decided not to lift the suspension of the number coding scheme or the Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program (UVVRP) in Metro Manila.

According to Morillo, it would have been “premature” to resume the UVVRP without sufficient mass transportation.

“We are happy that [MMDA] Chairman [Benhur] Abalos [Jr.] decided not to lift the suspension of the number coding. We believe it is premature to implement the said scheme given the lack of sufficient public mass transportation options for commuters,” said Morillo.

Morillo further explained that resuming the number coding scheme now will also affect the operations of  Transport Network Vehicle Services such as Grab.

“If we reimpose the number coding scheme now, even the TNVS units will be affected and their patrons will either use their own cars or just add to the long lines in the stations of the MRT, LRT, PNR, and the EDSA Carousel system,” said Morillo.

The MMDA first suspended the number coding scheme in 2020 “until further notice” due to the “limited operations of public transportation in Metro Manila.”

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