Sunday, January 07, 2007 Amendment, repeal of number coding pushed
ACTING Mayor Reinaldo Bautista Jr. wants a revision or even the repeal of the number-coding scheme and he shall endorse to the City Council measures for the approval of such move.
He noted that educational and tourism activities abound in the city for this month, February, and the few next months.
An administrative order is also being awaited for the extension of the number-coding suspension until the end of February. An earlier AO has been issued by the acting mayor last November for its suspension until January 5.
Bautista has observed that with the suspension, tourists have increased lately, which has proven very advantageous to the business sector. This was also noted by no less than President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during her visit last December, he said.
Academic activities for this month include the Department of Education elementary and secondary schools national press conference, which the city is hosting, where more than 5,000 students and advisers are expected.
February, which is the Baguio Flower Festival month, shall also see local and foreign tourists coming up to Baguio, for the month-long Panagbenga activities.
Commencement exercises during the month of March is also seen to bring parents and well wishers to the city, Bautista said, thus the foreseen further suspension of the coding scheme.
The move for the possible repeal is seen as a big boost to the tourism industry and to the earnings of the city as a whole.
As the number-coding scheme was approved in 2003 to lessen traffic within the central business district and adjoining areas, and further amended, exemptions have applied only to tourist buses, government owned vehicles, mail delivery vehicles, armored bank cars for money transfer, emergency vehicles, water delivery trucks during fire control, public utility vehicles for emergency repairs and school services ferrying students during designated hours.
All vehicles are prohibited to operate within the number-coding scheme with the given schedules, based on the last number of their license plates: 1 and 2, Monday; 3 and 4, Tuesday; 5 and 6, Wednesday; 7 and 8, Thursday; 9 and 0, Friday.
Currently, suspensions apply only to private vehicles plying all routes within the city. (Julie Fianza)
