In 1996, due to the Guadalupe Bridge renovation, the original scheme was re-implemented along with

the Odd-Even arrangement.

After improvements were complete, Odd-Even was dropped and for some fourteen years since 2003,
generations of motorists have grown into the habit of following the ‘coding’ – a total ban on private and
PUVs from 7AM to 7PM with ‘window hours’ for private vehicles between 10AM to 3PM.

But alas, after more than two decades of fighting vehicular congestion via road space rationing, it
continues to get worse.

This prompted the new administration to create the Inter-Agency Council on Traffic or i-ACT
composed of members from the Department of Transportation (DOTr), MMDA, Land Transportation
Franchising and Regulatory Board, Land Transportation Office, Philippine National Police-Highway
Patrol Group and the Metro Manila Council.

On November 2 last year, the government’s new muscle against traffic expanded ‘coding’ by removing
the ‘window hours’ and extending coverage hours, among many others.

Now called the ‘Expanded UVVRP’, but you can also just stick with ‘number coding’ because regardless
of the name, it’s the major changes to the rules and locations that you should never forget.
It’s still the same, 1-2 Monday, 3-4 Tuesday, 5-6 Wednesday, 7-8 Thursday and 9-0 Friday but vehicles
are now barred from using roads in Metro Manila from 7AM to 8PM. No ‘window’ hours’ on major
roads and these are:

Circumferential roads (C1 to C6)

•C-1 C.M. Recto Avenue (Roxas Blvd to Legarda)

•C-2 A.H. Lacson/Quirino Avenue (Roxas Blvd to R-10)
•C-3 G. Araneta Avenue/Sgt. Rivera (N. Domingo to R-10)
•C-4 EDSA (R-10 to Macapagal Blvd)
•C-5 (Commonwealth Ave to South Super Highway)
•C-6

Radial Roads (R1 to R10)

•R-1 Roxas Boulevard (CM Recto to MIA Road)

•R-2 Taft Avenue (Lawton to Redemptorist)
•R-3 South Superhighway (Quirino to Nichols Interchange)
•R-4 Shaw Boulevard (R. Magsaysay Blvd to Pasig Blvd)
•R-5 Ortigas Avenue (Santolan to Imelda Avenue)
•R-6 Aurora Boulevard/R Magsaysay Boulevard (R. Magsaysay/Legarda to C-5
Katipunan)
•R-7 Espana/Quezon Avenue/Commonwealth Avenue
•R-8 A. Bonifacio Avenue (Blumentritt to EDSA Balintawak)
•R-9 Rizal Avenue (Carriedo to Monumento)
•R-10 Northern Coastal (Recto to C-4)

Major highways

•A. Mabini Street (Samson Road to C-3)

•Alabang-Zapote Road (Alabang to Real Street/Quirino Avenue)

•McArthur Highway (Monumento to Valenzuela/Meycauayan Boundary)

•Marcos Highway (Katipunan Ave to Sumulong Highway)

•East and West NLEX Service Road through Valenzuela

Good news is that secondary streets and minor lanes may allow you to drive your ‘coded’ vehicle
depending on the city you’re in.

We all know Makati City doesn’t play along so don’t bother. Other cities without ‘window hours’
include Las Piñas and Mandaluyong.

Trucks that exceed 4500 kg gross weight and above are exempted from the UVVRP number coding
scheme. However, these trucks become part of the 'Truck Ban' ordinance. This means that big rigs with
heavy payloads will not be allowed to travel along major roadways from 6:00 AM – 10:00 AM and from
5:00 PM – 10:00 PM every day except Sundays and holidays.

Meanwhile, light trucks that weigh below 4500 kg gross weight are part of the 'expanded' number
coding scheme. Like private and public utility vehicles, they are not allowed to travel along major
thoroughfares from 7:00 AM until 8:00 PM.

Pasig is a bit more lenient. You’ve got a window of 10AM to 4PM but not on C-5, Shaw Blvd. (from R.
Magsaysay to Pasig Blvd.), Marcos Hi-Way (from Katipunan to Sumulong Hi-Way [Manila area]), and
Ortigas Ave./Extension (from Santolan to Imelda Ave.). Also, do take note of their own Odd-Even
scheme that’s strictly administered from 6AM to 10PM Monday to Saturday, no window hours. License
plates ending in 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 are not allowed to use Elisco Rd. (west-bound), R. Jabson St. (north-
bound), Elisco Rd./M. Concepcion St./R. Jabson St. Intersection, San Guillermo St. (east-bound),
Sandoval Ave. (both north and south-bound), and F. Legaspi Bridge (west-bound) on Tuesdays,
Thursdays and Saturdays while plates ending in 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 are forbidden to use the
aforementioned areas on M-W-F.