THE Metro Manila Development Authority suspended the number coding scheme for provincial buses from Southern Luzon yesterday and today to accommodate the bulk of passengers going back to Metro Manila following the holiday break.
MMDA acting chairman Thomas Orbos said the lifting of the Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program, or the number coding scheme, for provincial buses came after a consultation meeting with officials of the Inter-agency Council on Traffic (I-ACT).
“This way, we can help thousands of passengers to book their trip back to Metro Manila because the earlier returning trips had all already been fully-booked,” Orbos said.
He said that the UVVRP suspension will afford bus companies to utilize all available units to fetch passengers from the provinces in Southern Luzon back to Metro Manila.
Orbos, however, pointed out that the lifting of the UVVRP will create traffic since more vehicles will be on the roads.
“We appeal to motorists for their understanding and to bear with us during the duration of the Number Coding suspension. We have to do this to allow people to get back to their respective work here in Metro Manila as soon as possible,” he said.
The lack of Manila-bound provincial buses has been compounded by the ongoing labor strike by a bus company which services the southern Luzon provinces. Workers at the bus company have been on strike for almost a week now.
Meanwhile, around 100 MMDA traffic enforcers will receive new hand-held radio phones to help them to be more efficient and effective in their tasks while manning the streets in the metropolis.
Orbos said the communications equipment, donated by a private entity, who requested anonymity, will greatly complement the existing communications assets of the agency in performing its mandate in traffic direction and management.
“These hand-held radio phones will be of great help to our traffic enforcers especially in managing traffic flow in Metro Manila,” Orbos said.
Aside from the communications equipment, the MMDA official said all personnel of the agency who will be injured or figured in an accident will be insured of hospitalization up to P40,000, also donated by two private companies.
Orbos said the agency’s support to field personnel is vital to raise their morale while performing their duties in the field.
“The MMDA leadership wants to assure field personnel that they will get all of the support the agency could give them to ensure that they will deliver quality public service,” Orbos said.
He said support of private companies continues to pour in to show their appreciation to the efforts and initiatives of the government, through I-ACT
I-ACT is composed of MMDA, Department of Transportation, Land Transportation Office, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, Philippine National Police- Highway Patrol Group, and the Metro Manila Council, MMDA’s policy-making body.
