MMDA clarifies ‘no contact apprehension’
Traffic enforcers will still conduct ground apprehensions of violators despite the implementation of Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA’s) No Contact Apprehension Policy (NCAP), the agency clarified yesterday.
The clarification was made after an announcement supposedly from the MMDA reminded motorists that starting June 15, there will only be non-contact apprehensions of traffic violators.
In March, the MMDA asked the public to stop spreading such erroneous information that said enforcers can no longer do on-ground apprehensions to traffic violators.
The agency’s NCAP utilizes closed circuit television cameras (CCTVs) in apprehending traffic violators. But this does not mean that enforcers can no longer apprehend as the cameras installed in the metropolis are not enough to cover all thoroughfares.
Jose Arturo “Jojo” Garcia, MMDA general manager, said: “We have already asked the public to stop spreading this fake news about the ‘no contact apprehension’ in March,” he said.
“It’s fake news. We deny such reports. It is not true there’s no more ground apprehension,” Garcia said in press conference in March.
MMDA said that the public must only rely on the official announcements of the agency’s social media accounts on Facebook and Twitter.
The NCAP is being strictly implemented as per the order of MMDA Chairman Danilo “Danny” Lim, Garcia said.
According to Garcia, the NCAP diminishes opportunities for corruption, bribery and even confrontation between the apprehended motorists and enforcers.
“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 explained.
Under the said policy, motorists caught violating traffic rules receive summon, containing the screen grab of their violations, vehicles’ plate number and other potent details.
Motorists are given seven days to contest the violation with the MMDA’s traffic adjudication board or pay the fine.
Currently, there are 300 CCTV cameras installed in major thoroughfares in the metropolis which are being monitored at the MMDA Metrobase.
As per MMDA, major thoroughfares covered by the scheme are EDSA, Commonwealth Avenue, C5 Road, Diosdado Macapagal Avenue, Marcos Highway, Roxas Boulevard, among others.
In the “fake news” report which is circulating online, the “no contact” policy shall be enforced starting this month and no MMDAtraffic enforcer will flag down driver for any traffic violation on the road. It was also claimed that the registered owners of vehicles will be informed of their violation via post mail and shall be given only five day to contest the violation.