The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said that it will intensify its physical apprehension and adjust the deployment of its traffic personnel on the ground after declaring that it will abide by the Supreme Court’s temporary restraining order (TRO) on the implementation of the No Contact Apprehension Policy (NCAP).
MMDA Acting Spokesperson and head of Legal Service Atty. Cris Saruca, Jr. said that the on-the-ground apprehension will continue and the deployment of traffic enforcers shall be adjusted to cover the areas where NCAP cameras are located.
These areas include EDSA, Commonwealth, Quezon Avenue, Roxas Boulevard, C-5, and Macapagal Blvd.
While Saruca said that the NCAP has contributed to the behavioral shift of motorists, he stressed that the agency will do its best to efficiently perform its mandate on traffic and transport management sans the policy.
“We will do its best to carry out our traffic management mandate by apprehending physically and directing traffic physically, as we await final resolution on the NCAP case.”
“Rest assured that the MMDA, through the leadership of Acting Chairman Engineer Carlo Dimayuga III, will do its best to carry out our traffic management mandate by apprehending physically and directing traffic physically, as we await final resolution on the NCAP case,” he stressed.
Saruca also said that the MMDA will consult the Office of the Solicitor General to seek advice on its next action and whether it will have to intervene in the pending petition as it is not a respondent to the case.
Meanwhile, the collection of NCAP fines shall also stop for those who have been apprehended by the policy after the issuance of TRO. Apprehension which happened prior to the TRO shall still be subject to corresponding penalties.
“Those who have been caught through the policy prior to the issuance of the TRO still have to pay their fines.”
“The Supreme Court said that the TRO is effective immediately and shall continue until further notice, hence, it is prospective, and those who have been caught through the policy prior to the issuance of the TRO still have to pay their fines,” he explained.
According to the official, the MMDA registered more or less 107,000 NCAP apprehensions from January until August 24 of this year.
Common violations include disregarding traffic signs, violating the number coding scheme, and no loading and unloading.
Even without the NCAP, Saruca hoped that discipline among motorists will be maintained to ensure smooth traffic flow and for the safety of all road users.
