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October 17, 2016

No "Window Hour" Expands in Both Coverage and Duration Starting November 1


We don’t normally cover this kind of news, but since it will affect the way you drive around Metro Manila, we thought it would be prudent to make an exception this time.

Citing its effectiveness during this week-long dry run, the Inter-Agency Council on Traffic or I-ACT (boy, these government people really love their catchy acronyms), will be expanding the coverage of the Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program (UVVRP) or more popularly known as number coding in both location and time.

Though the number coding scheme has been a part of Metro Manila motoring life for quite some time, it made headlines when the I-ACT and other related agencies decided to remove the so-called window hours (or hours where motorists regardless of ending plate number can move freely). This week, the window hour scheme closed on: EDSA, C5, Roxas Boulevard, Alabang-Zapote Road, as well as the entirety of Mandaluyong, Las Piñas, and Makati.

And because travel times have improved by around three minutes (their computation, not ours), starting Tuesday, November 1, the number coding scheme will be implemented from 7:00 am (0700) to 8:00 pm (2000). And since the removal of the window hours seemed effective, the coverage will expand to include:
  • C1: CM Recto Avenue
  • C2: President Quirino Avenue
  • C3: Araneta Avenue
  • C4: EDSA
  • C5: C.P. Garcia Avenue
  • C6: Bulacan-Rizal-Manila-Cavite Regional Expressway
  • R1: Roxas Boulevard
  • R2: Taft Avenue
  • R3: SLEX
  • R4: Shaw Boulevard
  • R5: Ortigas Avenue
  • R6: Magsaysay Boulevard / Aurora Boulevard
  • R7: Quezon Avenue / Commonwealth Avenue
  • R8: A. Bonifacio Avenue
  • R9: Rizal Avenue
  • R10: Del Pan / Marcos Highway / MacArthur Highway
Other non-arterial roads around Metro Manila excluding those covered by Mandaluyong, Las Piñas, and Makati will continue to have 10:00 am (1000) to 3:00 pm (1500) window hours. Hey, we’re not saying it’s impossible to get around, but goodness, you have to either get creative or hope Waze comes up with an update that lets you choose a route if your car’s coded.

As a refresher, the UVVRP dictates that vehicles with a particular ending number on their plate or conduction sticker cannot ply the streets:
  • Monday : 1,2
  • Tuesday: 3, 4
  • Wednesday: 5, 6
  • Thursday: 7, 8
  • Friday: 9, 0
Technically, the expanded coverage of the no window hour policy of the UVVRP will run only until January 31, 2017. But like anything coined as “temporary” by the government, this will likely be a permanent patch job for Manila’s traffic woes.

6 comments:

  1. this will just increase car sales even more. and if the government increases taxes on cars, this will just increase sales of compact cars. give it a month or two, and net effect will be zero.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Would the ban of all 10 year old vehicles
      (public and private) on main thoroughfares and tax restored ones help alleviate the traffic situation?

      Delete
    2. No because there are people who can't afford a brand new car. Also, what's gonna happened to the classics ? The only solution is public transportation because the only reason most people buy cars is for transportation. Public transportation is so bad that people would rather spend 3 hours in their own car.

      Delete
  2. in New york and singapore - 70% of working class use public transportation, kaya wala trapik. kelangan lang talaga upgrade yung public transpo sa atin kasi ito lang talaga solusyon sa trapik. wala na pagasa ang EDSA. wala na.. wala na.. minsan nag MRT ako from shaw to Magallanes, 11 minutes lang. bale 22 minutes balikan na. amazing.
    hay naku, makapagkape nga ulit.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. well Filipinos, lahat gustong magka "CAR" these days, as if its not chaotic enough.
      I push everyone to go alternative like motorcycles and public transport. social climber tlaga tong mga pinoy, sa ibang bansa nag co-commute mga mayayaman

      Delete
  3. I agree with the comments on eventual negation of effect attributed to lack or inefficiency of available PUBLIC TRANSPORT.

    My idea is every person normally strives to step up in any aspect possible. Owning and using a private "ride", be it a bnew or 2nd hand automobile or motorcycle, captures that essence. Why? - because that is a direct upgrade in property, comfort, convenience, utility, etc. So the most likely case is those who can afford to buy new rides to enable for alternate use will buy so and the average joe who will eventually become able to purchase a ride (especially 2nd hand) will do so too. As result, more vehicles in our roads.

    Hopefully most of our public officials come to their senses and focus aggressively at constantly building up (even at slow pace) sufficient and efficient PUBLIC TRANSPORT.

    ReplyDelete

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