Electric vehicles and hybrids will be exempted from the upcoming EDSA odd-even scheme, a representative of the Department of Transportation has confirmed to Top Gear Philippines.
Under the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act or EVIDA, electric vehicles such as battery EVs, plug-in hybrids, and hybrids recognized by the Department of Energy are granted exemption from the Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program, otherwise known as the number-coding scheme.
Chapter IV, Section 25 of EVIDA, however, adds that these vehicles are also exempted from “other similar schemes implemented by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, other similar agencies, and LGUs.” These exemptions, which are considered non-fiscal incentives, “shall remain in force for eight years from the effectivity” of EVIDA.
We reached out to the DOTr today, May 26, to ask if the number-coding exemption granted by EVIDA will also apply to the EDSA odd-even scheme. Upon checking with the MMDA, a representative of the agency confirmed that recognized electric and electrified vehicles may indeed be used on EDSA without restrictions.
The EDSA odd-even scheme is one of the traffic-management measures that will be implemented during the height of the EDSA rehabilitation project, which is set to begin on June 13, 2025, and is expected to be completed sometime in 2027. The scheme will be implemented from Mondays to Saturdays as follows:
EDSA odd-even scheme implementation
- Banned on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays: Vehicles with plates ending in 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9
- Banned on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays: Vehicles with plates ending in 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8
There will be no odd-even window hours from Mondays to Saturdays. All cars may freely use EDSA on Sundays.
