Metro Manila traffic enforcers at work. (FILE PHOTO)
MANILA, Philippines — Metro Manila mayors on Saturday agreed to suspend the confiscation of the driver’s licenses of traffic violators until the Land Transportation Office (LTO) finalizes rules on its proposed single ticketing system in the metropolis.
In a meeting of the Metro Manila Council, the governing body of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), the mayors also agreed in principle to interconnect their databases to that of the LTO’s as part of the single ticketing system.
However, local governments will still issue traffic violation citations, but not confiscate drivers’ licenses, until the LTO finalizes the system, which it hopes to implement by the first quarter of next year.
Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos, who also attended the meeting, thanked the Metro Manila mayors for supporting the single ticketing system and agreeing to stop confiscating driver’s licenses.
“I thank the Metro Manila mayors for heeding my appeal. I would also like to reiterate that we maintain the authority of the LTO to confiscate driver’s license as the leading law enforcement agency in implementing traffic laws and the safety of the motoring public,” Abalos said.
Still being finalized
Romando Artes, acting chair of the MMDA, said that the agency, LTO, and 17 local governments in Metro Manila were still finalizing the system that would allow motorists to settle fines for their traffic violations at designated payments centers.
Artes said that Metro Manila governments “will pass an ordinance on this matter. For now, the existing ordinance/traffic laws of each [local government] shall prevail.”
Artes stressed that local government traffic enforcers will be allowed to confiscate driver’s licenses of erring motorists until the passage of the appropriate ordinance.
Violators will pay a standard amount regardless of where the infraction was committed.
New rules
“We are finalizing the guidelines for the single ticketing system, which includes the establishment of a traffic adjudication court per [local government], incontestability of traffic violations, among others,” Artes said. He said another meeting was scheduled to discuss the interconnection of databases.
During the meeting, LTO chief Assistant Secretary Jay Art Tugade laid down the technical requirements for the new system.
“Once the single-ticketing system is finalized, the LTO will strictly implement its demerit point system to be able to properly monitor driver’s license records. License should only be issued to deserving and qualified drivers,” Tugade said.
Under the demerit system, all local governments in the metropolis will forward their traffic violation citations to the LTO for tallying.
If a motorist is found to have violated traffic regulations 10 times, his driver’s license will be suspended.