Bus-tagging scheme going well–MMDA

MANILA, Philippines—At a rate of 86 public utility buses apprehended in 60 minutes, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority on Monday maintained that the bus tagging scheme is doing well with “violators” actually attempting to comply with the regulation.

MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino, at Monday’s Kapihan sa Diamond Hotel, told reporters that he stayed for an hour along the stretch of Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City and his personnel were able to apprehend 86 public buses.

Tolentino said that most of the apprehended violators only committed trivial errors in complying with the bus tagging scheme, pointing out that some had their license plate numbers painted small or carried the wrong color.

“There was an attempt to comply. The intention was to follow the regulation and not to violate so the omission here is not that grave that you would consider it a violation,” he stressed, adding, “We have a level of tolerance for that.”

Tolentino pointed out that the scheme has been discussed for seven months which provided ample time for the PUB operators to adjust.

The bus tagging scheme, approved in February by the Metro Manila council composed of 17 mayors, involves the painting of a license plate numbers on the roof of public utility buses for easy identification and tracking of traffic violators, particularly colorum and out-of-line PUBs, through the MMDA’s closed circuit television cameras.

The scheme is a re-implementation of a previous resolution authorizing the MMDA to implement vehicle tagging on all registered and franchised public utility vehicles plying major and secondary roads in the metropolis.

Last week, the MMDA conducted a dry-run for the scheme where violators were let off with warnings.

First time violators will be fined P500 while repeat offenders face cancellation or suspension of their bus franchises by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.

By October, the MMDA intends to expand the coverage of the tagging scheme to include other PUVs such as provincial buses, AUVs (Asian utility vehicles), school shuttle services, taxis and cargo trucks.