MANILA - The Land Transportation Office (LTO) has announced a new strategy to enhance traffic law enforcement in the National Capital Region (NCR) by utilizing the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority's (MMDA) camera network to identify and penalize traffic violators.
According to Philippines News Agency, Assistant Secretary Vigor Mendoza II, the integration of MMDA's camera footage will facilitate the issuance of show cause orders (SCOs) to motorists who violate traffic rules. This initiative reflects a concerted effort to leverage existing technologies to uphold road safety and order.
During a collaborative meeting with MMDA officials, including acting chair Romando Artes, Director for Enforcement Victor Nuñez, and METROBASE NCAP and Overspeeding Group Head Ronezes Rivera, the LTO confirmed its plan to target specific violations, particularly those occurring in the EDSA busway. The MMDA is tasked with supplying the LTO with relevant video evidence, including time stamps and vehicle identification details, to support the enforcement process.
Mendoza emphasized the objective of this collaboration: to harness the MMDA's monitoring capabilities to address and deter traffic violations effectively. The video documentation provided by the MMDA will serve as a foundational element for the SCO, ensuring that violators are held accountable.
This enforcement strategy aligns with a March ruling by the Supreme Court, which affirmed the MMDA's authority over traffic management in the NCR and restricted local government units from independently issuing traffic citations. Subsequently, the MMDA deputized traffic enforcers from the NCR's 17 local government units, enabling them to issue valid traffic tickets under a unified regulatory framework.