METRO Manila mayors yesterday agreed to
recognize ordinance violation receipts issued by law enforcers
in the 16 cities and one town in the metropolis.
As a compromise agreement, they also
recognized the power of the Metro Manila Development Authority
to enforce traffic laws.
The MMDA is proposing a unified traffic
scheme, or the Metro Traffic Ticketing system, for the entire
metropolis. It issues traffic violation receipts (TVRs) to
erring motorists.
The local government units in Metro Manila
are implementing their own traffic schemes. They are also
issuing ordinance violation receipts (OVRs).
Motorists and transport groups have
complained about the different traffic systems, particularly
because the LGUs do not recognize the MMDA’s TVR or the OVRs
issued by other LGUs.
The metro mayors, in unanimously approving a
resolution of the Metro Manila Council, practically set aside
the single ticketing system under Executive Order 712 issued by
President Arroyo about two weeks ago after a transport strike.
EO 712 orders the MMDA to oversee the
implementation of a single ticketing system in the metropolis.
Mandaluyong Mayor Benhur Abalos, president of
the Metro Manila City Mayors League, said: "Single ticketing
system is a matter of how you interpret it. It could be uniform.
It could be different tickets with reciprocity and harmony,"
Abalos said they have formed a technical
working group composed of traffic agencies to come up with
recommendations within 30 days, including harmonizing fines for
violations.
The status quo will be observed during the
30-day period, with OVRs and TVRs being honored, Abalos said.
But starting today, the MMDA will enforce
traffic rules only on national roads. Secondary or local roads
will be manned by traffic personnel of local government units.
MMDA chairman Bayani Fernando and the mayors
met for two hours at his office in Makati City.
Those who attended the meeting were Mayors
Vergel Aguilar (Las Piñas), Sigfriedo Tiñga (Taguig), Wenceslao
Trinidad (Pasay), Enrico Echiverri (Caloocan), Tobias Tiangco (Navotas),
and Joseph Victor Ejercito (San Juan), and Quezon City Vice
Mayor Herbert Bautista who represented mayor Feliciano Belmonte.
Other mayors sent representatives.
Abalos, on the clamor of transport groups to
harmonize traffic rates, said they have already synchronized 40
percent of traffic rates.
But this early, Abalos said it would be
difficult to reduce traffic fines in some LGUs, owing to the
complicity and nature of traffic situations in some areas.
He cited the case in Makati, which he
admitted imposes uncharacteristically high rates.
Fernando, who presided the meeting, said:
"I’m happy that this entire thing has been set in motion. It’s
going to harmonize everything, so that the complaints or
difficulties being faced by the road users can be properly
addressed."
He said the MMDA will continue to follow the
fines schedule of the Land Transportation Office.
He said the mayors’ decision was not a
rejection of EO 712.
"EO 712 rejected? No, this talk actually is brought about by
that executive order. There has been a decision before by the
council that doesn’t seem to work well with the transport group;
they have some complaints about it. With the EO 712, it gave us
the opportunity to revisit all these things," he said. –
Ashzel Hachero
