METRO MANILA will suspend its coding system and ease important traffic restrictions ahead of Holy Sunday, while extending the exemption of fuel trucks and essential goods to protect supply lines amid volatility in global oil markets.
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the mayors of Metro Manila on Tuesday agreed to cancel the Combined Traffic Reduction Program that starts at noon on April 1 and is automatically suspended on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, as the authorities prepare for increased travel.
Holy Week runs from Wednesday, April 1 through Easter Sunday, April 5.
Provincial buses will also be allowed on Epifanio de los Santos Avenue from the evening of April 1 until the morning of April 6 to help reduce congestion and speed up the movement of passengers.
Also on Tuesday, Metro Manila mayors approved a broad exemption from license plates and a ban on fuel tanker trucks and cargo trucks carrying essential goods to prevent supply disruptions related to the conflict in the Middle East.
“This will ensure the smooth flow of energy sources and facilitate the flow of goods amid the rising prices of fuel products,” MMDA Chairman Romando S. Artes said in a statement.
The agency will deploy 2,476 workers during Holy Week, enforcing a no day off and no absenteeism policy. – Chloe Mari A. Hufana
