THE government has formed a new council to discuss, study and examine the proposed re-implementation of the odd-even scheme to further improve the flow of traffic in Metro Manila.
As espoused by the transport leaders themselves, the Metro Manila Transport Consultative Council would make suggestions on traffic measures and policies being proposed to the Metro Manila Council for approval.
During a consultative meeting called by the Metro Manila Development Authority with various stakeholders during the weekend—to get their sentiments and opinions regarding the proposed modified odd-even scheme—the representatives agreed to form the council.
MMDA acting chairman Thomas Orbos welcomed the move and said the council would be a big help to the government in crafting measures to address the traffic problem in Metro Manila as it would ensure that the transport sector was always consulted.
University of the Philippines Professor Clarita Carlos shall act as facilitator of the council composed of transport leaders, commuters’ safety advocate, motorcycle riders’ organizations, public utility vehicles operators (jeepneys, city and provincial buses, taxis), representatives from MMDA, Department of Transportation, Land Transportation Office, and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.
When the proposed modified odd-even scheme was tossed to the parties, the general consensus was that it would be better if the full-day odd-even scheme was implemented on major thoroughfares in Metro Manila as it was less complicated and would not cause confusion among motorists.
Everyone in the meeting agreed the current traffic woes in the metropolis were due to the large vehicular volume traversing several major roads, particularly Epifanio de los Santos Avenue.
Aside from the transport sector, the MMDA will also conduct consultations on the modified odd-even scheme with different stakeholders in the coming days, as instructed by the Metro Manila Council, the governing board and the policy-making body of the MMDA.
“We want to get a broad sentiment of the stakeholders and the general public with these consultations,” Orbos said.
Under the initial proposal submitted to the MMC, all public utility vehicles plying Edsa will be exempted from the number coding once the government approved and enforced the modified odd-even scheme for private vehicles along the 23.8-kilometer highway.
The odd-even scheme on Edsa to complement the existing expanded unified vehicular volume reduction program or the number coding scheme being enforced in the National Capital Region.
More than two million private vehicles will be affected once the government enforced the scheme dubbed as “Windows 2.”
But the MMC said it would only give the program a go signal if the MMDA would succeed in clearing secondary roads in the NCR of all illegally parked vehicles and other road obstructions.
The new odd-even scheme stated that private cars, aside from complying with number coding, would also be banned for three two-hour intervals along Edsa from Monday to Friday.