MMDA to continue on-ground apprehension of traffic violators

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will still apprehend traffic violators on the ground as monitored by closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras under its no-contact apprehension policy (NCAP). (PNA photo)

MANILA — The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will still apprehend traffic violators on the ground as monitored by closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras under its no-contact apprehension policy (NCAP).

This as MMDA Acting General Manager Jojo Garcia denied reports circulating on social media that traffic enforcers will no longer flag down drivers for road infractions.

““It’s fake news. We deny such reports. It is not true there’s no more ground apprehension,” Garcia told a press briefing on Friday.

The agency appeals to the public to monitor only the official MMDA social media accounts on Facebook and Twitter as sources of information.

The MMDA will be strictly implementing the NCAP which utilizes CCTV, digital cameras and other gadget or technology to capture videos and images to apprehend erring motorists. Some traffic enforcers are also equipped with body cameras and handheld cameras that take video clips of motorists committing moving violations.

The policy was conceptualized to augment the presence of MMDA traffic enforcers. It was designed to catch moving violations, leaving the apprehension of administrative offenses to MMDA constables.

The NCAP also lessens opportunities for corruption, bribery and even confrontation between the motorist and the traffic enforcer.

“We want to remind the drivers that there is an eye in the sky monitoring you. They cannot just violate traffic rules even if they do not see any traffic enforcer on the road,” Garcia said.

Under the policy, motorists caught violating a traffic rule receives summon, containing the screen grab of the violation, vehicle’s plate number and other details.

Motorists are given seven days to contest the violation before the MMDA’s traffic adjudication board or pay the corresponding fine.

At present, there are 300 CCTV cameras installed in major thoroughfares monitored by a team of Metrobase personnel.

Major thoroughfares covered by the scheme are EDSA, Commonwealth Avenue, C5 Road, Diosdado Macapagal Avenue, Marcos Highway, Roxas Boulevard, among others.

The NCAP has recorded over 100,000 traffic violations from December last year up to February 28, 2018 based on data from the MMDA Metrobase.