(UPDATE) THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said all fuel trucks, including LPG bullet carriers, and vehicles carrying basic commodities are now exempted from the number coding scheme.
In a press briefing at the MMDA’s head office in Pasig City, MMDA General Manager Nicholas Torre III said the Metro Manila Council approved a resolution that took effect immediately on Tuesday, March 24.
Torre also clarified that LPG bullet carriers are covered by the exemption because they are included among fuel tankers.
“The MMC resolution has already been approved, so all of the fuel trucks are not included in number coding anymore... the same goes for our basic commodities,” he said.
The resolution also covers exemptions from the truck ban for fuel trucks and cargo trucks carrying essential goods.
MMDA Chairman Don Artes said the measure was approved following requests from the Department of Energy and the Department of Trade and Industry to help speed up the transport of petroleum products and essential goods.
He said the move would help ensure the unimpeded movement of energy sources and ease the mobility of goods amid rising fuel prices.
The MMDA said it is coordinating with the DTI, which will identify the essential goods that will qualify for the exemption.
Torre said the move was approved in recognition of what he described as a situation that had gone beyond normal, with the directive meant to help ease conditions for the public.
He also said LPG bullet carriers were already being treated as part of fuel tankers from the start of the policy discussions.
Torre added that initial MMDA monitoring on EDSA from Monday to Wednesday last week showed only a 5- to 7-percent drop in vehicle volume, or around 20,000 to 30,000 vehicles a day, under the adjusted traffic measures.
Torre said the agency would continue reviewing traffic data to determine why some motorists still experienced heavy congestion despite the reduced vehicle count.
