San Juan City Mayor and Metro Manila Council (MMC) President Francis Zamora revealed that only eight out of 17 localities in Metro Manila have passed and amended their respective ordinances to implement unified fines and penalties in the 20 identified common traffic violations for the single ticketing system.
At the Kapihan sa Manila Bay, Zamora said that the MMC will continue to hold the dry-run for the digitalization project by the first or second week of April or after the Holy Week.
He added that despite some cities that not have passed their respective ordinances prior to the set deadline on March 15, Metro Manila mayors have set a "self-imposed” target of implementation of the single ticketing system by the end of April 30 this year.
"It (single ticketing system) took 28 years in the making to finally implement this because the present mayors now in Metro Manila are receptive to this unified (traffic fine) ordinances because we have contiguous areas of jurisdiction,” the mayor explained.
Last March 2, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Acting Chairman Atty. Don Artes said the dry run would benefit the traffic enforcers, both from the agency and the 17 local government units (LGUs) as they would be familiarized with the system.
It will also serve as an opportunity to address technical glitches that may arise, especially since the system will be online and will be connected to the information and technology system of the Land Transportation Office (LTO).
Artes disclosed that seven local government units in Metro Manila have signified their interest to have the dry-run in their areas. These are San Juan, Muntinlupa, Quezon City, Valenzuela, Parañaque, Manila, and Caloocan.
Zamora said in an interview with ABS-CBN that the council is targeting the implementation of the single ticketing system by the end of April this year.
"We are targeting the end of April for its implementation. Sa ilalim ng single ticketing system, hindi na po kukumpiskahin ang inyong mga lisensya. Pangalawa, ang 20 common violations po ay magkakaroon ng standardized fines. Pangatlo at ang para sakin ay ang pinakamahalaga sa ating publiko ay kung tayo po ay mamumultahan dahil tayo ay nagviolate, pwede na ho tayong magbayad saan man sa Pilipinas sa pamamagitan po ng mga digital payment platforms (We are targeting the end of April for its implementation. Under the single ticketing system, authorities will no longer confiscate the driver's licenses of violators, the 20 common violations will be having standardized fines, and lastly and for me is the most important to the public, if ever you have committed a violation, you may now pay your fine anywhere in the Philippines through digital payment platforms)," Zamora said.
"So, we do not have to go to the city hall anymore kung saan tayo nahuli para lang magbayad. Kahit saan tayo sa Pilipinas, meron tayong pagkakataong magbayad at ito yung convenience na mararanasan ng ating mga mamamayan lalo na ho yung mga nakatira sa malalayong lugar halimbawa taga Ilocos or taga Bicol na napadaan ng Maynila at nahuli dito. Hindi na kinakailangang bumalik dito para lang magbayad ng multa (So, we do not have to go to the city hall of the city where we committed the violation anymore to pay our fine. Wherever we may be in the Philippines, we have a chance to settle our fine and this is the biggest convenience the public may experience under the system especially for those who live in far flung areas. For example, you live in Ilocos or Bicol and you committed a traffic violation in Manila, you no longer have to go back to the city to pay)," he added.