Legal ways to get around the number coding scheme

With the uptick in traffic in Metro Manila thanks to the relaxed restrictions on work, school, and travel that's made worse by the Christmas holiday rush, city residents face a familiar foe: the Metro Manila Development Authority’s Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program (UVVRP) or Number Coding scheme.

Also Read: MMDA Number Coding 2022 Scheme Quick Guide

If you don’t live in Metro Manila and are perhaps unfamiliar with the Number Coding scheme, here’s a quick crash course: On certain weekdays, certain cars aren’t allowed to ply Metro Manila’s streets during certain hours. Cars with plate numbers ending with a 1 and 2 aren’t allowed out on Monday, 3 and 4 on Tuesday, 5 and 6 on Wednesday, 7 and 8 on Thursday, and 9 and 0 on Friday. Prohibited hours are during rush hour, from 7 am to 10 am and 5 pm to 8 pm, except for Makati city, which bans them the whole day from 7 am to 7 pm.

If you live and drive in Metro Manila, you’ve probably wondered how to get around such an inconvenience. Well, there are certain legal ways to do it.

Apply for a number coding exemption

Certain people qualify for a number coding exception – doctors, medical personnel, public servants, media practitioners, vehicles delivering perishable goods, vehicles used for tourism purposes, and company shuttle services. You're out of luck if you don’t fall under these categories.

Buy a coding car

While not really in the spirit of the UVVRP, most people buy a second car, one that doesn’t have a plate number that falls on the same day as their primary vehicle. While convenient, it doesn’t solve the traffic problem (though that’s a political debate for a different venue).

Go electric

The third way is more for those who have yet to purchase a car, and that’s to buy an Electric or Hybrid vehicle. Thanks to the EVIDA Law, Hybrids, Plug-in Hybrids, and Battery Electric Vehicles are exempt from coding, even in the dreaded city of Makati. Having a hybrid as your daily vehicle not only saves the environment but saves you the hassle of worrying about the Number Coding scheme.

Hop on two wheels

The last is to ditch the car and go on two wheels. Motorcycles are exempt from the Number Coding scheme because they don’t add too much volume to the road, nor do they have plates on the front. So catching them is slightly useless anyway. You can also ride a bicycle to get around. The bike lanes now found along various major thoroughfares provide a sense of security among cyclists. Just always be mindful still of your surroundings.

Commute

I guess you could say the only proper way to skirt around the Number Coding scheme is to take public transportation, which is the intended effect of the UVVRP anyway. But if you’d rather not wait in line for 4 hours for a train that may or may not arrive at your desired station or wait in line for 4 hours trying to ride a bus that may or may not be too full to move, then you’d be better off just buying a second car, or a scooter, or riding a bike to do your commuting.