Vehicle reduction rules suspended on Monday

MANILA, Philippines—The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority will lift the Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program  or the number-coding scheme on Monday in anticipation of the transport strike.

However, the number-coding scheme, which determines which vehicles are allowed on the road based on their plate numbers, will remain in the cities of Makati and Las Piñas, the MMDA added.

Under this scheme, vehicles with plate numbers ending in 1 and 2 are not  allowed on major roads in Metro Manila ordinarily on Mondays.

Next Monday, however, these vehicles will be allowed on the roads, except in Makati and Las Piñas.

The Militant group Pinagkaisang Samahan ng Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (Piston) earlier announced it was pushing through with its strike in protest of high fuel prices, saying the dialogue with President Aquino and other top administration officials failed to address the transport sector’s concerns.

Several agencies, including the MMDA, met Friday to prepare plans to cope with the transport strike and to ensure it will not adversely affect traffic and the peace-and-order situation.

Authorities warned drivers and operators who resort to violence and intimidation that they will be dealt with accordingly.