By Jel Santos
Around 3,000 vehicles were monitored violating the driver-only ban or the high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) scheme along EDSA on the first day of its dry run on Wednesday, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) disclosed.
An MMDA Traffic Enforcer apprehend a motorist to remind him of the driver-only-car ban along EDSA White Plains during its dry run, August 15, 2018. (Mark Balmores / MANILA BULLETIN)
Since it was just a dry run, no driver was meted the P1,000-fine.
The ban is being implemented in the morning from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. In the afternoon, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Such was determined by the agency as rush hour.
Jose Arturo Garcia, MMDA general manager, said a total of 2, 953 drivers were caught violating the ban through the No Contact Apprehension Policy.
He underscored that the full implementation of the ban is targeted on August 23.
" We monitored a total of 2, 953 violators. As of now, the will no be fined since it's just a dry run," he said Wednesday afternoon at MMDA headquarters.
"We are calling the public to observe the ban," he added.
Garcia claimed that the traffic on EDSA got better as it got decongested during rush hour.
On the same day of the dry run, the provincial bus ban was also imposed.
He disclosed that seven provincial bus drivers were caught violating the bus ban on EDSA. They were slapped with P2, 000 fine each.
The MMDA is now eyeing to buy thermal cameras to help apprehend violators, planning to use mannequins as fake passengers.
Garcia said the challenges they observed in the implementation of the driver-only ban were heavily tinted cars, and when the passengers were at the back.
"They could contest such."
According to Garcia, they are now working to address this concern with Land Transportation Office.
LTO Law Enforcement Services Director Francis Almora, who attended the press briefing, revealed that they would soon come out with the regulation on car tints.
Once regulation takes effect, Almora said drivers have to modify the color of their car tints to comply with the requirements.
“No motor vehicle will be registered with LTO with heavily-tinted vehicles,” he said.
He said tints are restricted on public utility vehicles while there is a minimum visible light transmission tint on private vehicles.