PUV groups back MMDA ticketing scheme

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has found two unlikely supporters in its effort to institute a single ticketing system for traffic violations.

Transport groups as represented by the Integrated Metro Manila Bus Operators Association (IMBOA) and the Pinag-isang Samahan ng Tsuper at Operators Nationwide (Piston) both expressed their opposition to the decision of the Metro Manila Mayors to implement an individual ticketing system for their respective areas of jurisdiction.

Both Piston and IMBOA have been strong critics of the MMDA because of conflicts regarding the agency’s traffic management policies.

Some of the major issues cited by the two groups against the MMDA include the number-coding scheme and the supposed prejudice against public utility drivers.

Medardo Roda, head of Piston, led a small group to the MMDA office in Makati City yesterday to express his support to the single ticketing system.

According to Roda, the use of individual citation tickets in each of the 17 local government units in Metro Manila would result in confusion as several problems will arise.

He pointed out that the fines and penalties imposed by some LGUs that use their own tickets vary and in most cases are higher than those imposed by the MMDA.

Roda also noted that the tickets issued by the LGUs are not honored outside of the area of issuance unlike the traffic violation receipts of the MMDA. There are currently six LGUs that use their own tickets.

IMBOA’s outspoken head Claire de la Fuente has also thrown her group’s support behind the MMDA as she rejected the individual ticketing system.

In the past few months, Dela Fuente has been critical of the MMDA for coming up with experiments on the number-coding scheme which she claimed drastically affected the operations of her group’s members.

Dela Fuente reflected the fears of Roda that the individual ticketing would spark chaos among motorists.

Piston has threatened to go on a massive transport strike if the Metro mayors push through with the individual ticketing system.

MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando said that he will be meeting with the Metro mayors next Thursday to try and settle the issue.

For the meantime the MMDA has asked the Department of Justice to come out with a legal opinion on the authority of the MMDA in coming out with a single ticketing system.