‘No Window’ Hours for Private Vehicles from Oct. 17-Jan. 31, 2017

The Inter-Agency Council on Traffic (I-ACT) will be implementing the removal of the window hours for private vehicles traversing EDSA and C5 road under the number coding scheme from Oct. 17, 2016 to Jan. 31, 2017.

The no window hours will also be implemented in Alabang-Zapote Road, Roxas Boulevard, Makati, Las Pinas and Mandaluyong.

The policy was implemented ahead of its scheduled date of Oct. 31 to Jan. 31, 2017 in response to the appeal of Metro Manila mayors amid expected rise in the volume of vehicles for the next few months.

“Earlier implementation of no window hours is necessary for it to have an immediate impact on reducing traffic congestion for the holiday season,” Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) General Manager Thomas Orbos explained in a press conference.

For her part, MMDA Traffic Discipline Office Director Neomi Recio said that the removal of window hours would lead to the reduction of the number of vehicles passing through EDSA and C5 by 20 percent. According to her, the number of vehicles passing through EDSA reaches at 7,500 at peak hours while its capacity can accommodate up to 6,000 vehicles based on data from the MMDA. The congestion is mainly caused by private vehicles.

“Clearly, we need to remove window hours as our roads have already maximized their capacity as the number of vehicles continues to increase. We need to reduce congestion of vehicles in the roads,” according to her.

A dry run of the no window hours will be implemented on Oct. 12 to 14, 2016.

After Jan. 31, I-ACT shall evaluate the impact of the no window hours and will determine if it has created a positive impact in alleviating traffic congestion in the metropolis. The assessment shall be submitted to the Metro Manila Council who will decide if it will be implemented further or permanently.

Window hours refer to the five-hour period from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. when motorists covered by the scheme on a specific day can still pass without being apprehended. Under the current number coding scheme, private and public utility vehicles are banned from using Metro Manila roads on weekdays from7 a.m. to 7 p.m. depending on their plate number.

Meanwhile, the I-ACT has appealed to mall operators not to schedule any mall sales during weekends but rather schedule it on weekends so as not to contribute to the traffic congestion. Both parties settled to implement the agreement starting Oct. 21, 2016.

It likewise urged mall owners to start adjusting their mall operating hours from 11 a.m to 11 p.m. starting Nov. 1, 2016.

Mall owners must submit a detailed traffic management plan to the Council two weeks before the conduct of mall sales.

“The production of a traffic management plan is imperative for both the mall operators and the government so as not to effect inconvenience to motorists during the conduct of such events,” the I-ACT said in a statement.

I-ACT will have a dialogue with mall traffic managers within the next few weeks to discuss requirements of the traffic management plan as well as the terms of cooperation between mall owners and the government to address traffic issues.

In the past years, authorities have observed that the conduct of mall sales cause traffic gridlock within the mall perimeters due to the influx of customers and vehicles going in and out of the malls. (PNA) RMA/ABP