MMDA, MAYORS’ AGREEMENT. Metro Manila Development Authority Chairman Bayani Fernando says the mayors have agreed to pull out their traffic enforcers from national roads and allow the MMDA to take over. In their meeting Friday, Fernando says the mayors also agreed that traffic citation tickets issued by the MMDA will be respected by local officials in their areas of jurisdiction. Video taken by INQUIRER.net reporter Thea Alberto.
Only MMDA men on nat’l roads starting Saturday--Fernando
Local traffic enforcers to stay on local roads
By Thea Alberto INQUIRER.net First Posted 16:41:00 03/28/2008
MANILA, Philippines -- Metro Manila mayors have agreed to pull out their law enforcers along the national roads to give way to the traffic men of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) although local roads would still be under their supervision, MMDA chairman Bayani Fernando said.
"They have authorized the MMDA to supervise and implement traffic rules in national roads while in the local roads it will be with their own OVR [ordinance violation receipt]," Fernando told reporters, saying this would take effect Saturday.
Under the old policy, the MMDA and local government traffic enforcers shared the task of manning both local and national roads, causing confusion among motorists.
Friday’s agreement is seen as the first step towards resolving the issue of the single-ticketing system, which the mayors had originally opposed.
Present in Friday’s meeting were Mayors Wenceslao Trinidad of Pasay; Toby Tiangco of Navotas; JV Ejercito of San Juan; Benhur Abalos of Mandaluyong; Vergel Aguilar of Las Piñas; Recom Echiverri in Caloocan; and Freddie Tinga of Taguig. Makati and Quezon Cities sent their representatives.
"Huwag nang mag-alala ang drivers ng jeepneys and buses dahil ang ticket ay rerespetuhin ng buong [Drivers of buses and jeepneys should no longer be worried because the ticket would be recognized in the] 16 cities," said Abalos, noting that if a driver's license is confiscated in one city, the motorist’s OVR will be recognized in another city.
In the past, some local government units did not recognize OVRs issued by others and the drivers would often end up being charged with driving without their licenses.
The MMDA suggested the single-ticketing system to resolve the problem of having different traffic citation tickets, OVRs, or fees.
Echiverri said the meeting went smoothly, as mayors agreed to recognize OVRs other than those that would released in their areas.
"What we have agreed upon is that the LGUs will respect the authority of the MMDA in the same manner the MMDA will respect [our] authority," said Echiverri.
Abalos also said a technical working group had been formed to issue in 30 days the final decision on the single-ticketing system.
Fernando said the group would be composed of the MMDA, traffic directors of each local government unit, Department of Telecommunications and Communications, and Land Transportation Office.
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