Transport groups opposed to the implementation of the No Contact Apprehension Program (NCAP) protested in front of the Quezon Memorial Circle (QMC) in Quezon City on Monday, Aug. 29, to express their grievances about the program.
The groups, under the “Stop NCAP Coalition,” went to the QMC as early as 6:30 a.m. but they were not allowed to enter the park since they were not able to secure a rally permit from the QMC administration.
QC Task Force for Transport and Traffic Management (TFTTM) Officer-in-Charge Dexter Cardenas told Manila Bulletin on Monday that the group, composed of more or less 120 participants, was not prevented to hold their program in front of the East Avenue entrance of the QMC.
He added that the group was able to hold a motorcade along Elliptical Road.
“Ipinahayag lang po namin yung aming saloobin na kabuhayan na po yung kinukuha sa amin. Mas malaki pa yung multa ng apat na doble o limang doble kesa doon sa kinikita po ng ating mga kasamahan,” Malayang Alyansa ng Bus Employees at Laborers (MANIBELA) National President Mar Valbuena said in an interview with DZBB Super Radyo.
He also mentioned the inconveniences being suffered by public utility vehicle drivers and operators due to the program, including the bike lanes that block the areas where vehicles can load and unload passengers, and the process of settling the penalties of the violators.
Valbuena, who is also a convenor of the coalition, added that the NCAP as a way to discipline motorists who violate the rules must be corrected.
The NCAP, which aims to discipline motorists and capture road violations without the need of face-to-face interactions, is currently being implemented in the cities of San Juan, Manila, Valenzuela, Paranaque, and Quezon.
Land Transportation Office (LTO) chief Teofilo Guadiz III had earlier appealed to the local government units (LGU) of the cities to suspend the. NCAP implementation for a thorough review of the policy.
In a joint statement released on Aug. 18, the five city mayors - Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna, Valenzuela City Mayor Weslie “Wes” Gatchalian, Quezon CIty Mayor Joy Belmonte, Paranaque City Mayor Eric Olivarez, and San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora - expressed their united stance in continuing the implementation of NCAP in their cities.
The mayors said the progran helped in minimizing human intervention in traffic enforcement, prevents corruption, improves road safety and discipline among motorists.
Read more: 5 Metro mayors to push through with NCAP implementation