Makati mayor asks number coding exemption for airport cabs

MANILA, Philippines - Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay on Tuesday asked the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to exempt airport taxis from the Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program (UVVRP).

Under the UVVRP, all public utility vehicles do not enjoy the “window hours” between 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. unlike private vehicles.

During the “window hours,” vehicles that are covered by the UVVRP for that day depending on the last digit of their license plates, are permitted on the streets.

Under the UVVRP, vehicles with license plate numbers ending in 1 and 2 are not allowed on EDSA and on major streets of Metro Manila from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and again between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Mondays. Vehicles with license numbers ending in 3 and 4 are covered by the UVVRP on Tuesdays; 5 and 6 (Wednesdays); 7 and 8 (Thursdays) and 9 and 0 (Fridays).

Vehicles covered by the UVVRP for that day are however given the “window hours” of 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to use EDSA and the other major thoroughfares such as the C-5 Road, Roxas Boulevard and the Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard, regardless of the cities covered.

There are no “window hours” however in Makati City,  Malabon City and Las Pinas City.

The cities of Marikina, Muntinlupa, Taguig and Paranaque do not implement the UVVRP while Pasig City implements the window hours of 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

In Pasay City, the UVVRP is not implemented along the Ninoy Aquino Avenue, MIA Road, the Domestic Road, Sales Road and portions of Buendia Avenue.

Makati spokesperson Joey Salgado said tourism operators in the city have brought their concerns about the UVVRP affecting airport taxicabs before the office of Mayor Binay.

Binay raised the concern with the MMDA and the Metro Manila Council (MMC), the policy-making arm of the MMDA which is composed of all the mayors of Metro Manila during their regular meeting on Tuesday.

Binay added that exempting airport taxis from the UVVRP would also help boost tourism not only for Makati City but also for the other cities.

“We are willing to exempt airport taxis from the number coding in Makati but they (taxis) would still have to pass through other cities where the number coding is also enforced,” said Salgado.