Give odd-even scheme window hours — senators

Heavy traffic is seen along Edsa in Pasay City. (File photo by RICHARD REYES / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

MANILA, Philippines — Instead of a 24-hour implementation, Sen. JV Ejercito proposes window hours in the odd-even scheme to be carried out along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (Edsa) during its rehabilitation.

Speaking to reporters in an ambush interview, Ejercito said it will be hard to put the scheme in place for 24 hours, particularly during the rush hours.

He said it will be better to just work on the Edsa reconstruction in certain times.

“Maybe we should retain it that way. If it’s not enough, let’s implement it for 24 hours. But we can’t say. We’re not traffic experts,” he acknowledged.

“We will know the truth during the actual implementation. We have to make adjustments,” the legislator said.

“Maybe the 24-hour implementation is too hard. They will have a hard time. They’ll be inconvenienced so we have to adjust from time to time,” he aired his concern.

“Let’s just see if it would be okay if we implement it for certain hours and if it’s not enough, then let’s do it for 24 hours. For now, let’s opt for rush hours,” he suggested further.

The odd-even scheme is one of the interventions that the government is set to carry out to prevent the expected heavy traffic that the Edsa reconstruction will cause.

The odd-even scheme will be rolled out beginning June 16.

Vehicles with license plates ending in odd numbers (1,3,5,7,9) will be banned from passing through Edsa on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

On the other hand, vehicles with even-numbered plates (0,2,4,6,8) will be prohibited on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Meanwhile, Sen. Grace Poe, who used to head the Senate panel on public services, said the rebuilding of Edsa is long overdue.

But she also emphasized that “any policy that restricts movement must be communicated clearly and justified with data.”

Poe particularly noted that the Department of Transportation and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority should launch an aggressive public information campaign about the project.

“To help commuters cope, companies can also do their part by offering shuttle services and adopting flexible work arrangements, including work-from-home setups, where feasible,” said Poe.

She likewise urged the Transportation Department to ramp up the completion of the MRT-7.

The senator believes MRT-7 will ease the public’s commuting woes by bringing additional mass transportation options to the people.

“Everyone in Metro Manila is waiting to get on board. We hope the MRT-7 project will soon be a reality,” Poe, chairperson of Senate Committee on Finance, said.

The big-ticket rail project promises a 35-minute travel time from North Avenue in Quezon City to San Jose Del Monte in Bulacan.

The rail system will have 14 stations.

MRT-7 is targeted to be fully operational by 2026.