‘No window hours’ expanded, extended

Unlike last week, violators of the “no window hours” policy were fined P300 starting on Monday. —NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

Citing its effectivity in easing traffic flow in the metropolis, the Metro Manila Council (MMC) agreed on Monday to implement the “no window hours” policy on 18 other major thoroughfares in Metro Manila, including Commonwealth and Taft Avenues.

On top of this, the MMC also extended by an hour the coverage period of the Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program (UVVRP), more commonly referred to as the number coding scheme. From the previous 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., the UVVRP will be enforced between 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

According to the Department of Transportation, the changes will take effect on Nov. 1 or five days after the publication of a resolution signed by the MMC which is composed of the 17 Metro mayors.

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) General Manager Tim Orbos said that the mayors unanimously approved the two new traffic measures when the results of the policy’s trial run last week were presented to them.

Based on the agency’s data, travel time on Edsa improved by nearly 11 minutes on Oct. 12, followed by 21 minutes on Oct. 13 and 13 minutes on Oct. 14.

“In fact, several [mayors] were already pushing for a Metro Manila-wide no window hours policy. But given that the Christmas season is coming, there may be certain places where commerce may be affected [if this was implemented throughout the capital]. So what was agreed upon was [the inclusion] of the circumferential roads and radial areas,” Orbos told reporters.

Currently, the no window hours policy is strictly being implemented on Edsa, C5, Alabang-Zapote Road, Roxas Boulevard and throughout the cities of Mandaluyong, Makati and Las Piñas.

Under the MMC resolution, the following roads will also be covered by the expanded traffic scheme: Recto Avenue, President Quirino Avenue, Araneta Avenue, C.P. Garcia Avenue, Taft Avenue, South Luzon Expressway, Shaw Boulevard, Ortigas Avenue, Magsaysay Boulevard, Aurora Boulevard, Quezon Avenue, Commonwealth Avenue, A. Bonifacio Avenue, Rizal Avenue, Del Pan, Marcos Highway, MacArthur Highway and the Bulacan-Rizal-Manila-Cavite Regional Expressway.

This means that motorists will be banned from these roads between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. based on the last digit of their license plate: 1 and 2 on Mondays; 3 and 4 on Tuesdays; 5 and 6 on Wednesdays; 7 and 8 on Thursdays; and 9 and 0 on Fridays.

On the first day of the strict implementation of the no window hours policy on Monday, the MMDA apprehended 58 motorists on Edsa and another 38 on C5 Road who were fined P300 each. During last week’s trial run, violators were let off with just a warning. –Jovic Yee