It does seem to us that the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority is desperately looking for ways to manage the expected traffic Carmageddon on EDSA once the rehabilitation works on it go full-blast next month. So, ladies and gentlemen, we present to you the latest idea straight from the brilliant minds of the agency (drum roll, please): a new odd-even scheme with no window hours.

The dry run will start on June 16 for one month. This is for EDSA only.

From the MMDA’s own words:

The implementation of the 24-hour odd-even scheme is limited to EDSA only starting June 16 (dry run). Under the odd-even scheme, vehicles with license plates ending in odd numbers (1, 3, 5, 7, and 9) are not allowed to use EDSA during Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Meanwhile, vehicles with license plates ending in even numbers (2, 4, 6, 8, and 0) are prohibited to ply EDSA during Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.

The new traffic scheme is on top of the existing number coding. The problem is that the new scheme will not be fair to all last-digit numbers.

A reader has shared with us a simple table to show how some last digits will be banned for three days per week, while others will be prohibited from the busy highway for four days.

Knowing how the agency has a tendency to take back its proposed ideas, we will not be surprised if this new scheme is revised soon. We see many people protesting on social media, for one.

For another, it will give us the impression that the MMDA is hard at work to ease our motoring lives.

What do you think?

NOTE: The MMDA has clarified that the new odd-even scheme will not be implemented with the existing number-coding scheme for EDSA. In other words, the odd-even scheme will supersede the current number-coding scheme. Malinaw ba? Read here.