All the 17 mayors in the National Capital Region (NCR) have agreed to order their respective traffic enforcers not to confiscate the driver's license of any motorist who would violate traffic rules in their respective areas, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said.
Lawyer Romando Artes, acting MMDA chairman, said most of the Local Government Units in Metro Manila are already implementing the moratorium on the confiscation of driver's license while some have to formalize it through an issuance of an executive order or the amendment of their respective traffic ordinances.
The moratorium was agreed during the meeting of the Metro Manila Council composed of NCR mayors on Saturday, Dec. 10, attended by Artes, Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos and Land Transportation Office (LTO) chief Jay Art Tugade.
The MMC is the governing and policy-making body of the MMDA.
"Our mayors actually heeded the request of Secretary Abalos regarding confiscation of driver’s license of erring motorists," said Artes.
Based on the agreement, no driver’s license shall be confiscated while the LTO is working on its interconnectivity.
"Every LGU in NCR will pass an ordinance on this matter. For now, the existing ordinance/traffic laws of each LGU shall prevail. Subject to the passage of an ordinance, they are allowed to continue to confiscate driver’s licenses of erring motorists," Artes said.
Single-ticketing system
Tugade said the LTO has already laid down the technical requirements for the MMDA and LGUs to issue traffic violation tickets to tag and record traffic violations.
"Once the single ticketing system is finalized, the LTO will strictly implement its demerit point system to be able to properly monitor driver’s license records. License should only be issued to deserving and qualified drivers," Tugade said.
The single ticketing system through interconnectivity of LTO and Metro Manila LGU systems will facilitate the settling of penalties of traffic violators through payment centers, or Bayad Center.
"We are finalizing the guidelines for the single ticketing system which includes the establishment of traffic adjudication court per LGU, incontestability of traffic violations, among others," Artes said.
"We will have a 5th technical working group meeting that aims to enforce interconnectivity among the LGUs in Metro Manila," he added.
The single ticketing system is targeted to be implemented in the first quarter of 2023.
NCAP
The work on the single-ticketing system came as the LTO and other Metro Manila LGUs are still waiting for the outcome of the legal battle on the implementation of the non-contact apprehension policy (NCAP).
The Supreme Court suspended in August this year the NCAP implementation after transport groups filed a petition questioning its legal ground, including concerns on violations of car owners' privacy.
The MMDA and the LGUs of Quezon City, Manila, Valenzuela, San Juan and Parañaque were already implementing NCAP prior to the issuance of the temporary restraining order of the High Court.
The first hearing on NCAP is set on Jan. 24 next year.