TRANSPORTATION Secretary Vince Dizon yesterday said the odd-even scheme to be implemented on EDSA while it is being rehabilitated will run for a month starting June 16, adding that a further assessment will be made if it serves its purpose to decongest traffic on the 23.8-kilometer highway.
“After one month, if it is effective in significantly reducing the number of vehicles on EDSA, that will be continued. But if it is not quite effective or it has little effect, we will re-think its implementation,” Dizon said during the Senate Committee on Public Services hearing on the proposed Magna Carta for Commuters.
Dizon issued the clarification after the planned implementation of the odd-even scheme on EDSA was opposed by various sectors.
Under the scheme, vehicles whose plate numbers end in 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 are not allowed to pass EDSA on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, while vehicles whose license plates ending in 2, 4, 6, 8, and 0 will not be allowed on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
Motorists who will cross EDSA are exempted from the scheme.
There will be no odd-even scheme on EDSA on Sundays.
“The scheme is one of the out-of-the-box thoughts of the MMDA. To allay the fears of our motorists, this will be just a dry run. This is what MMDA Chairman Don Artes wants to be clarified,” Dizon said.
He said motorists who will go to and from the southern part of Metro Manila can use the Skyway Stage 3, toll-free, for certain segments on EDSA.
He said the “challenging” part is the expected congestion of vehicles on the Skyway’s exit and entry points.
He added that the MMDA will coordinate with local government units to ease traffic congestion on Skyway Stage 3’s exit and entrance points.
Senate majority leader Francis Tolentino said he supports the rehabilitation of EDSA but said it should be done on a “phased implementation” and the road works must only be from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. to prevent inconvenience to motorists, businesses, and the economy.
Tolentino suggested that road works be divided into five sections — EDSA-Pasay, EDSA-Makati Guadalupe, EDSA-Ortigas, EDSA-Cubao, and EDSA-Caloocan.
“EDSA is an important part of our everyday lives. It should be rehabilitated but must be done with careful planning and must consider the flow of traffic and livelihood of our citizens,” said Tolentino, a former chairman of the MMDA.
Sen. Grace Poe said the rehabilitation of EDSA is “long overdue,” but added that any policy that restricts movement must be communicated clearly and justified with data.
“While waiving Skyway toll fees can manage congestion, many motorists are already reacting negatively to the proposed odd-even scheme. Kaya dapat malinaw sa tao: para saan ito, gaano katagal, at sino ang sakop o exempted? (That’s why its purpose should be clear, how long will it be implemented, and who is covered or exempted?),” Poe said.
She said the MMDA should launch a massive information campaign so as not to confuse motorists.
Poe said companies can also do their share to ease the commuting burden of their employees or workers by offering free shuttle services and adopting flexible work arrangements, including work-from-home setups where feasible.
She said that according to a 2017 study by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, traffic congestion in the country costs the economy P3.5 billion daily, which is projected to hit P5.4 billion by 2035.
She said the EDSA rehabilitation will give the government the opportunity to focus on more efficient mass transit systems and pedestrian-friendly alternatives.
“The agency (DOTr) should work on wider bike and pedestrian lanes in non-EDSA routes, longer train hours, and carpool lanes. We need to focus on more permanent solutions to our traffic woes instead of relying solely on stop-gap measures,” she added.
DRYRUN
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority said it would implement a one-month dry run for the odd-even scheme on EDSA starting June 16, not one week as it had earlier announced.
In an advisory, the agency said the one-month dry run would enable motorists and the riding public to get familiar with the scheme.
“There would be a one-month dry run of the Odd-Even Scheme for the EDSA Rebuild starting July 16, 2025,” the agency said.
Last Monday, MMDA chief Romando Artes said in a press briefing that a one-week dry run would precede the implementation of the scheme.
The agency said during the dry run, violators would not be apprehended and fined.
“No one would be apprehended during the dry run. Violators would only be accosted and a notice will be issued, but they will not be made to pay the corresponding fine,” he said, adding: “This is part of the information drive to give enough time for motorists to get acquainted with the new policy for the EDSA Rebuild project.
The MMDA Traffic Engineering Center said the following vehicles are exempted from the coverage of the odd-even scheme:
1. Electric Vehicles (EVs), Plug-in Hybrids, and Hybrids recognized by the Department of Energy under the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act.
2. Non-motorized vehicles
3. Emergency vehicles such as ambulances, fire trucks, and police mobile units.
4. Public Utility Vehicles such as city buses, jeepneys, and taxis
6. Transport Network Vehicles (TNVs) that operate under the accredited ride-hailing platforms.
7. Authorized marked government vehicles with official plates and being used for essential services, and
8. Motorcycles.
Media vehicles, according to the MMDA Public Information Office, are not covered by the exemption.
“Vehicles just crossing EDSA using the intersection are also exempted from the Odd-Even scheme, it said.
‘ADOPT WFH’
With the expected traffic problems to be created by the scheduled rehabilitation of EDSA, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) yesterday urged employers and employees to consider adopting work-from-home and other flexible work arrangements.
In a radio interview, Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma said it would be advisable for business establishments to adopt such work arrangements to minimize the adverse effects of the rehabilitation of the 23-kilometer-long highway from June 2025 until 2027.
“We won’t oblige them to adopt (work-from-home, flexible work arrangements), but we will be encouraging them,” said Laguesma.
He said such work schemes have been tried and tested already, particularly during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
“We just need to improve the system so that there will be minimal effects in the business operations while also reducing the suffering of our workers,” said Laguesma.
He said the DOLE is ready to assist business establishments in adopting such work arrangements under the policy of tripartism.
“We always push for an acceptable work arrangement between workers and businessmen so that it will be mutually beneficial,” said Laguesma. – With Gerard Naval
