No-contact apprehension of illegal parkers expanded to secondary roads

Owners of vehicles illegally parked on secondary roads would be sent summons starting on Monday, Feb. 12, when the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) expands its no-contact apprehension policy.

In a weeklong dry run, teams of traffic enforcers equipped with 20 body cameras will roam Metro Manila to take videos of illegally parked vehicles, according to MMDA operations supervisor Bong Nebrija.

The MMDA teams will pick streets with No Parking signs, where they will record a video for 5 minutes.

If the owner arrives after 5 minutes, he will be issued a ticket and pay a P500 fine. Otherwise, MMDA will send a summons to his residence with the recorded video as evidence.

The violation may be contested before the MMDA Traffic Adjudication Board (TAD) within seven days upon receipt of notice.

The driver may file a motion for reconsideration on TAD’s decision and appeal it further in the Office of the Chairman.

“There is a clamor from the public to intensify anti-illegal parking operations to decongest traffic especially in secondary roads,” he said.

Nebrija said this policy would make operations “easier” and “more efficient.”

He noted that the usual towing and clamping of illegally parked vehicles takes more time.

On the other hand, towing trucks also add to traffic in the area and could not enter narrow streets.

The MMDA will target roads in “critical areas” such as in Quezon City, Mandaluyong, San Juan and Manila.

Operations would be based, however, on complaints coming from social media, among other avenues.

Violators of illegal parking and other major traffic rules on major roads has been sending summons since the MMDA reimplemented its no-contact apprehension policy in April last year.

The policy uses 250 closed-circuit television cameras strategically placed along Edsa, C-5 Road, Commonwealth Avenue, Roxas Boulevard and Macapagal Boulevard. /atm