MMDA’s CCTV is catching bicycle lane violators

Contactless apprehension for bicycle lane

For the many, many motorcycle riders, the temptation to ride on the bicycle lane network on Metro Manila’s major thoroughfares can be too much to resist, especially in heavy traffic. Some think the government is being unfair by dedicating a lane for cyclists while riders have yet to see a dedicated MC lane. Others think that, if there's no traffic enforcer, they can easily get away with using it. That's where they're wrong.

Joed Medina, a motorcycle rider, has recently shared his ‘learning experience’ on social media, which as of this writing, has already been shared almost 3,000 times.

“Sa mga kapwa ko Rider's [diyan] na mahilig dumaan sa BICYCLE LANE sa EDSA wag na kayong dumaan [doon at] baka mapitikan din kayo. Magugulat nalang kayo meron nalang biglang dadating sa bahay niyo ng NOTICE OF VIOLATION galing sa MMDA (To my fellow motorcycle riders who frequently ride on EDSA’s bicycle lane, stop using it. You may be photographed and will be surprised to receive a notice of violation from the MMDA),” said Medina.

Medina was caught through MMDA’s contactless apprehension system that uses CCTVs that are strategically placed along the stretch of EDSA. At the time of the violation, he was riding in the vicinity of EDSA-Guadalupe when he decided to use the bicycle lane to skip the traffic build-up. MMDA charges a PhP 150.00 fine for riding on the bicycle lane.

Take note though, that these CCTVs are also watching for other traffic violations besides riding on the bicycle lane, so it would be wise to follow all traffic laws.

Other cities are also watching

CCTV is probably the future of traffic enforcement. Many cities have already implemented their own no-contact traffic enforcement, like the MMDA. Unlike MMDA, they carry harsher fines for using the bike lane, with Quezon City charging as much as PhP1,000.

For example, the City of Manila has already implemented their own no-contact traffic enforcement starting the fourth quarter of last year. Barely 2 months after establishing the program, the Nation’s Capital has already caught almost 15,000 traffic violators.

Parañaque City also has similar no-contact traffic enforcement in place.

If you think you might have at one point violated some traffic rules while in the city of Manila, it is quite easy to check their system. Just go to https://nocontact.manilacity.ph/plate and check for your vehicle or motorcycle’s plate number/ conduction sticker number or MV File number to see if you have an outstanding violation.

For Parañaque City, go to https://nocontact.paranaquecity.net/, and visit MMDA's https://www.mayhuliba.com/ to check if you have an outstanding traffic violation on MMDA-governed roads.