MMDA won't honor 'coding' exemptions

MANILA, Philippines - The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will no longer recognize documents exempting certain vehicles from the Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program (UVVRP), better known as the color coding scheme, starting today, an official said yesterday.

MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino said the cancellation of color coding exemptions will help reduce by 20 percent the number of vehicles traveling along EDSA each day.

The MMDA found that of the 8,900 color coding exemptions for the third quarter, 6,393 were issued to private vehicles of government officials and employees. The cancellation of the exemptions is one of the MMDA’s responses to ease the worsening traffic situation in Metro Manila.         

 “The issuance of exemption is a privilege granted by the agency and can therefore be revoked anytime,” Tolentino said.

He said the cancellation of exemptions is part of President Aquino’s call for equality.

Cargo trucks, ambulance, fire trucks, police patrol cars, military vehicles, diplomatic vehicles with diplomatic plates, government vehicles with government plates or appropriate markings or stickers from the Land Transportation Office (LTO), duly franchised school buses, company shuttle service vehicles, official media vehicles with markings, duly accredited tow trucks, vehicles delivering perishable goods and vehicles used by medical practitioners are considered automatically exempted from the UVVRP.