MANILA (UPDATE) — The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority will recommend the reimposition of a modified number coding scheme in the capital region, an official said Monday.

MMDA Chairman Benhur Abalos said traffic had already returned to pre-pandemic levels, especially on Fridays.

"Probably this week I’m going to give the study to mayors, for them to look at this," he said in a press briefing.

• READ: Number coding scheme still suspended under Alert Level 3 in NCR - MMDA
• READ: Traffic build-up along EDSA amid alert level 2

The region shifted to the looser Alert Level 2 quarantine level this month, which allowed more mobility and more businesses to reopen.

The MMDA will ask local chief executives in Metro Manila to approve the return of number coding from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., but public transport vehicles and health workers will be exempted.

“Right now, our public transport is not yet normal. We’re going at 70 percent capacity. There’s even queue during rush hours," Abalos said.

"Karamihan sa atin isa lang ang sasakyan (Most of us only have one car). Once sabihin namin whole day you cannot use your car, they will have to queue, pipila po sila (They will line up). We really have to balance things out," he added.

Abalos had said they could impose the scheme during the morning rush hours between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., subject to the mayors' approval.

He also made a request to shopping malls to adjust their operations to an hour later than the usual time in order to help ease rush hour traffic.

Abalos in early October said the policy remains in effect to prevent the spike of COVID-19 cases, as the capital region's network of public transportation is not yet back to normal.

• READ: MMDA to bring back number coding scheme if EDSA traffic worsens

Some people may also resort to carpooling, which could risk the spread of COVID-19.

But the official warned earlier this month that the number coding scheme would return if traffic congestion along EDSA, the region’s main thoroughfare, worsens.

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—With a report from Vivienne Gulla, ABS-CBN News