San Juan Mayor Francis Zamora. File photo from his Facebook account
Metro Manila mayors on Thursday approved the final draft of the traffic code intended to harmonize traffic penalties and violations across cities in the capital region.
San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora, president of the Metro Manila Council, said all 17 local chief executives agreed to implement the single ticketing system.
“We want to implement standardized violation citations and fines across all LGUs (local government units) and implementing agencies in Metro Manila and make things easier for our motorists through this system,” he said.
Zamora said the mayors had no problem and it was only a matter of integration.
“How will the integration process be? Do the LGUs need to pay to procure the IT (information technology) equipment and who will handle the actual integration of data?” he said.
According to Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chair Romando Artes, the Metro Manila Traffic Code will be implemented within the first quarter as the MMDA finalizes the hardware and IT equipment needed for its rollout.
Artes noted that the budget for the IT system will be sourced from the internal funds of the MMDA and they will also come up with an inventory of existing systems within the LGUs.
The 17 mayors will also need to go through the 33-page proposed traffic code for approval.
According to the draft policy, a unified ordinance violation receipt (UOVR) will serve as a uniform ticket to avoid the use of fake tickets.
The uniform ticket will feature the logos of the local government units, the MMDA and the Land Transportation Office (LTO), and MMDA and LGU-specific and distinctive serial numbers.
“The UOVR shall be recognized by MMDA, LTO and all LGU traffic operatives as a valid traffic citation receipt and temporary driver’s license,” it said.