Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte assured on Thursday, Sept. 2, the leaders of the Tricycle Operators and Drivers' Association (TODA) and other motorists that there will be a fair and just implementation of the city’s No Contact Apprehension Program (NCAP).
This, after the city council approved on second reading the amendment of the QC Traffic Management Code of 2018.
According to the city government, amendments to Article 25 of the QC Traffic Management Code include penalties and fines for violations under the No Contact Apprehension Program.
Belmonte said that the NCAP ‘ensures the safety of both the motorist and the traffic enforcer’ as physical interaction is eliminated.
"Nais lamang ng lungsod na maging mas ligtas ang bawat isa lalo na at nasa kalagitnaan tayo ng pandemya. Sa pamamagitan nito, pantay-pantay nating maipatutupad ang batas sa lahat ng walang palakasan (We just want everyone to be safe, especially now that we are in the middle of a pandemic. Through this, we can equally enforce the law on everyone without using connections),” she said.
“NCAP also promotes discipline and obedience among our motorists as they need to abide by our traffic rules even without the presence of traffic enforcers. The fines actually serve as a deterrent; you will not commit a violation because you know there is a corresponding penalty for it. I would like to assure everyone that nothing unjust will prevail in this city," she added.
The mayor also said that with the implementation of the NCAP, the budget saved from hiring more traffic enforcers can be used to augment funds for social services.
The program involves the development, installation, operation and maintenance of a road rules enforcement program that will use the latest and most widely used and accepted traffic enforcement cameras, software, and tools.
In the city’s NCAP, violators caught on camera shall be sent a “Notice of Violation” to their home address or registered email address within 14 working days, and will be given 30 days to pay their fines accordingly.