MMDA: All doctors exempted from number coding scheme, but…

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has started reissuing exemptions from the number coding scheme, but only for doctors.

“In the interest of service and upon consultation with various stakeholders, all medical practitioners are now exempted from the Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program (UVVRP) through the issuance of UVVRP Exemption by the MMDA,” a memorandum signed by MMDA general manager Tim Orbos said.

To qualify, however, they should apply for an exemption. The application should also be endorsed by the hospital where the doctor is affiliated.

The MMDA suspended the issuance of exemptions in January to reevaluate the policy after it was swamped by a big number of applications.

During the agency’s Sunday radio program, MMDA supervising officer for operations Bong Nebrija said that doctors should identify the primary hospital where they were on-call for emergency situations and submit a certification from that medical facility.

The processing time could be shortened if the hospital would provide the MMDA with a list of doctors for easy counterchecking, he added. They were also looking at providing exemptions per doctor as opposed to per vehicle.

Under the number coding scheme, vehicles are prohibited on major Metro thoroughfares on certain days depending on their license plates’ last number: 1 and 2 on Monday, 3 and 4 on Tuesday, 5 and 6 on Wednesday, 7 and 8 on Thursday, and 9 and 0 on Friday.