Back in November of last year, the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), NCR mayors, the Land Transportation Office (LTO), as well as various stakeholders, held a technical working group (TWG) with the primary goal of establishing a unified traffic management system that will be synchronized with the Land Transportation Management System (LTMS).
Just recently, the TWG members have approved the final draft of the Metro Manila Traffic Code for the proposed single ticketing system in the National Capital Region.
The TWG has agreed on the final 20 most common traffic violations committed by motorists and their corresponding penalties which will be imposed uniformly in all Metro Manila local government units and interconnectivity requirements with LTO’s LTMS.
Acting MMDA Chairman, Atty. Don Artes, said that his agency (under the Office of the President) will provide the funding for the purchase of the required system for the seamless and simultaneous rollout of the LGU’s integration with the LTMS.
“We will conduct an inventory of each LGUs with regards to their respective systems and equipment for the planned interconnectivity with the LTO database for them to have access to the motorists’ records,” said Artes.
“After a series of consultations with the LGUs and the transport sector, we have also finalized the standardized fines and penalties for the most common traffic violations such as disregarding traffic signs, illegal parking, and number coding, among others,” he added.
Artes also said that the single ticketing system “will resolve some issues raised in the NCAP petition which is now pending in the Supreme Court and issues on the confiscation of driver’s license. The proposed system will also benefit motorists because it will provide ease of payment through digital payment channels which can be used by apprehended motorists anywhere.”
Single Ticketing System could be limited to top 20 violations
While the Single Ticketing System aims to unify and synchronize the currently confusing traffic rules and penalties across NCR, San Juan mayor, Francis Zamora, who also presides as the leader of the Metro Manila Council, said that it is still up to the LGUs to create their own ordinances for other traffic-related offenses which are not stipulated in the traffic code as part of their local autonomy.
If all goes according to schedule, the proposed NCR-wide Single Ticketing System should be implemented anytime during Q1 of this year.
