THERE will be no number coding for vehicles on Oct. 31, a special non-working holiday; and Nov. 1, All Saints’ Day, the Metro Manila Development Authority announced on Wednesday.
MMDA acting chairman Thomas Orbos said the Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program (UVVRP), or the number coding scheme, will be suspended in time for the holiday.
He added the agency has decided to lift the number coding scheme for both public and private vehicles to allow people in Metro Manila more mobility as they start an exodus to the provinces.
Orbos said the implementation of the scheme will resume on Nov. 2, a regular working day. But he added provincial buses would be exempted from the coding scheme on Nov. 2 and 3 in anticipation of the large number of people returning to Metro Manila.
Records showed that 15,000 buses are plying along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue. Of this number, 22 percent are provincial buses.
The MMDA will also sending about 3,000 men tasked to manage traffic in the metropolis and assist passengers inside bus terminals in Pasay City and Quezon City.
It will also dispatched men from several operating units including Traffic Discipline Office, Road Emergency Group, Task Force Illegal Terminal, Parking Discipline Group, Towing and Impounding Group to clear all forms of obstructions and ensure smooth flow of traffic on major thoroughfares.
In Makati, key offices of the city government, together with the Makati Police Department, are all set to implement measures to ensure the orderly and peaceful observance of ‘Undas’ or All Saints’ Day on November 1 and 2.
As is customary during holidays, the number coding scheme will be suspended in Makati on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1.
Four public assistance stations set up in strategic areas in the vicinity of Manila South Cemetery will be manned by personnel of the Makati Action Center, Makati Health Department, and Makati Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.
The stations will provide wheelchairs for senior citizens and free blood pressure monitoring, and medical emergency teams will also be on hand to provide assistance if needed.
These will be positioned in the following areas: between Makati Catholic Cemetery and Manila South Cemetery; South Avenue corner Kalayaan Avenue; Vito Cruz corner South Avenue, in front of South Cemetery; and Metropolitan Avenue corner South Avenue.
For security and order, the Makati police will screen visitors for prohibited items and implement measures to regulate vendors and parking inside or within the vicinity of Manila South Cemetery. Visitors are also advised to take care of small children and secure their belongings while inside the cemetery.
The police will confiscate prohibited items inside the cemetery, which include firearms, bladed weapons, liquors, loudspeakers and amplifiers.
Meanwhile, designated areas for selling food and drinks are only allowed outside the cemetery. Cars and motorcycle parking will be available along Ayala Avenue Extension and Metropolitan Avenue.
Cleanliness in the area will be maintained by personnel from the city Department of Environmental Services through continuous cleanup operations.
Starting midnight on Oct. 31, the city government will also implement a traffic rerouting plan to ease the flow of traffic within the vicinity of Manila South Cemetery, which will remain in effect until midnight of Nov. 2.
The following streets will be closed to vehicular traffic: Kalayaan Avenue—from Zapote Street to N. Garcia St.; South Avenue—from Metropolitan to JP Rizal; Vito Cruz—from South Avenue to Zapote St.; and Pililia St.—from JP Rizal to Kalayaan Avenue.
To be opened to two-way traffic are J.P. Rizal – from Pasong Tirad to Makati Avenue; and Kalayaan Avenue – from Pasong Tirad to Zapote St.
One-way traffic will be in effect in Kalayaan Avenue from N. Garcia to Makati Avenue; and Metropolitan Avenue from South Avenue to N. Garcia.
Motorists are advised to expect heavy traffic and take alternate routes and avoid the South Cemetery Area.