'Still a nightmare': The country where driving is banned on specific days
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In Australia we can drive pretty much anywhere we like when we like – but in some cities in the Philippines, drivers are banned from driving on certain days and times depending on what number their licence plate ends with.
Being stuck in traffic is a major bugbear for Australians living in our major cities, and while authorities here are grappling to find ways to ease congestion, other countries like the Philippines are trying something a little more radical.
In some cities, there is a number plate coding system that prohibits private drivers from using their vehicles on specific days and at certain times along specific roads, all depending on what numbers they have on their car’s licence plate, to try and tackle traffic as well as drive down emissions.
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Formally known as the Unified Vehicle Reduction Program (UVVRP), number plates ending in the number one or two are prohibited from driving on Mondays, three and four aren't allowed on specific roads on Tuesdays, five and six on Wednesdays, seven and eight on Thursdays, and nine and zero on Fridays.
Colloquially named ‘Number Coding Scheme’, the traffic regulation system applies to local municipalities – including the capital city of Manila – located in the National Capital Region (NCR) and other cities like Baguio, Cabanatuan and Dagupan.
The system was first temporarily introduced in 1995 and only applied to public transport vehicles such as buses. However, the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) passed the law in 2022 while changing the legislation to apply to privately owned cars while exempting buses, motorcycles, ambulances and government vehicles.
The MMDA previously said the restriction "will reduce traffic volume by 20 per cent during the morning and afternoon/evening peak hours".
Depending on the city, the UVVRP applies from 7:00am to 10:00am and 5:00pm to 8:00pm during the weekday, with drivers eligible to drive their vehicles during "window hours" that fall outside of the restricted period.
However, some cities such as Makati enforce a day-long driving ban that runs from 7:00am to 7:00pm. It is worth noting road authorities can temporarily suspend the driving system on specific days like public holidays or government-approved occasions.
Drivers caught violating this road rule can face fines from ₱300 ($AUD8) to ₱1000 ($AUD27) depending on the severity of the offence and where it took place.
Despite concentrated efforts from authorities to enforce this law, some locals have found a way to bypass it by purchasing multiple cars with different number plates. However, some believe that traffic congestion is still an issue regardless of the driving restrictions.
In a 2024 viral Reddit thread, users poked holes in the mandatory rules.
"Due to the implementation of the scheme, many households resulted to [sic] buying more than one car, which somehow defeats the purpose of the implemented scheme. Traffic is still a big nightmare in NCR [National Capital Region] during the weekdays," one Reddit user stated.
"Public transportation in NCR sucks. We only have three metro lines [and] one suburban train for a population of [more than] 13 million [people]. Hence the very car-centric mindset of Filipinos. New metro lines are still being planned/built, but the progress is slow," they added.
One commenter added, "People (that could afford it) just got around it [the rule] by buying multiple cars".
Some low-emission vehicles like electric and conventional hybrid cars are exempt from the number plate coding scheme, provided owners have the appropriate certification.
However, these types of vehicles must be one of the Department of Energy-approved (DOE) models in order to bypass the road rule.
These include popular electric models in Australia such as the Tesla Model Y and Model 3 – the two best-selling EVs in 2024 – as well as BYD’s Dolphin hatch and Atto 3 small SUV.
Additionally, a number of conventional hybrids from Toyota are also recognised by road authorities, such as the RAV4 SUV – the second most popular car sold by volume in 2024 in Australia – Corolla and its Corolla Cross sibling.
In terms of plug-in hybrids, the DOE lists the Mitsubishi Outlander and Cherry Tiggo Pro 8 as department-recognised vehicles that could be exempt from the mandatory driving rules.
But the Philippines isn’t the only country that has similar number plate road rules to combat heavy traffic congestion, with the likes of Indonesia, Colombia, and Shanghai also enforcing varying degrees of restrictions relating to licence plates.
Domestically, various Australian state and territory governments, like Victoria, have prioritised the development of the public transport system as well as upgrading state roads to ease the traffic congestion and frustrations felt by a majority of local drivers.
Should Australia adopt the Philippines’s number plate driving system? Do you think this could work in 2025? Let us know in the comments down below.
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