MMDA Chairman Tim Orbos (2nd left) filled in question during a group interview with the Manila Bulletin editors and reporters held at the Manila Bulletin office in Intramuros, Manila on October 27, 2016. Also in photo are from left: Transportation Undersecretary Raoul Creencia, Highway Patrol Group Director Police Chief Supt. Antonio Gardiola, Jr., and Gen. Manny Gonzales, MMDA deputy chief traffic enforcer.
“One wave of the hand, one action to solve the traffic problem.”
Department of Transportation (DOTr) Undersecretary for Legal and Procurement Raoul Creencia stressed this yesterday as he explained the synchronized approach the Inter-Agency Council for Traffic (i-ACT) will be carrying out to solve the perennial traffic problem in Metro Manila.
In a roundtable discussion with the Manila Bulletin editors, Creencia said that in the past there was a “multi-authority” approach to solving traffic in the metropolis.
Naturally, there were many ways proposed to solve the traffic problem, without much success.
That is why, the i-ACT believes that the best way to solve the traffic problem is the synchronized approach as it will harness all the powers of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG), Land Transportation Office (LTO), and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).
He said further that once the emergency power on traffic is approved, then they should be able to finally solve this problem.
He emphasized that we have already experienced what it would be like to have a multi-authority approach.
In line with this approach, he said by the first quarter of next year there will be a single ticketing system in place. This will do away with some of the legal problems that beset apprehending officers whenever they confront erring motorists for a traffic violation.
With a uniform fine range for all traffic violations, both local and national, motorist will no longer have an excuse.
Chief Supt. Antonio Gardiola, PNP-HPG director and chief traffic enforcer of the i-ACT, said that he sees the solution to traffic as dependent on the five Es – enforcement, education, economic, engineering, and environment.
“The solution to traffic is not about enforcement alone,” Gardiola said.
However, he stressed the importance of having one command, “one enforcement group,” that will implement the “harmonized laws” that they will be enforcing.
In a nutshell, Gardiola explained that both local ordinances and national laws should have one uniform penalty per traffic violation.
He cited as example, the laws on colorum vehicles and smoke belchers which essentially should have the same penalties.
So far, the DOTr has already conducted two workshops to educate those concerned with traffic management about the new ticketing system.
Although the one ticketing system was also implemented during the time of then MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino, the system only integrated local ordinances.
Under the new system, all laws and ordinances pertaining to traffic will be integrated.
MMDA acting Chairman and General Manager Thomas “Tim” Orbos said the agency “tightening up” on the implementation of the No-Contact Apprehension policy.
“We apprehend around 10,000 (motorists) a month,” Orbos said.
Although the results are so far “good,” the MMDA still has to work on the intended effect of the program. The No-Contact Apprehension was intended to instill discipline among motorists.
But so far, Orbos said they are trying to hasten receipt of traffic violation tickets as the delay defeats the purpose of the program.
“It takes a few days to receive the notice (of violation) and during such time, the motorist also commits the same violation,” Orbos said.
That is why, he said, the MMDA is contemplating on the possibility of having the motorist flagged down along the way, to inform him or her of the violation.
He also said that they are working with traffic enforcers, the ground personnel, to coordinate with the program, to make it more effective.
Orbos also said that they are now planning to purchase more cameras to increase their coverage.
Aside from this, Orbos also welcomed the move of the national government, led by DOTr and i-ACT to have a single ticketing system.
The post Synchronized Approach Seen to Ease Traffic Woes appeared first on Manila Bulletin
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