1,040 motorists apprehended in Makati

The Makati government has reported that barely a month since the full implementation of its new Traffic Management Code, a total of 1,040 erring drivers have already been apprehended for committing various traffic violations in the city.

For the past weeks, the drivers have formed long queues at the redemption center located at the old Hall of Justice Building on J.P. Rizal street to claim their confiscated licenses after having paid the steep fines at the Office of the City Treasurer.

Makati’s traffic code began last July 16.

The drivers have committed a total of 2,107 traffic violations, with some of them cited for more than one violation, Makati Traffic Enforcement Unit (MTEU) head, Chief Inspector Estela Lomat, said in her report to Mayor Jejomar Binay.

According to Lomat, the top six violations of the drivers were obstruction, 378; illegal loading and unloading, 371; illegal display of signboard, 277; disobedience of traffic signs, 259; dress code/no uniform for public utility drivers, 194; and violations of the Vehicular Volume Reduction Scheme (VVRS), also known as the number coding scheme, 101.

Among these violations, the illegal display of signboard carries the steepest penalty amounting to P1,000.

Penalties for the other violations are as follows: violation of loading/unloading zones, P750; obstruction, P500; disobedience to traffic signs, P500; violation of the VVRS, P300, and violation of the dress code/no uniform, P150.

Transport group leaders have complained of the steep penalties imposed by the city government on the traffic violators as well as the confiscation of the driver’s licenses.

But Joey Salgado, officer-in-charge of the city’s Information and Community Relations Department (ICRD), said that the steep fines are meant to be a deterrent to traffic violations.

"Our traffic management code is meant to instill discipline among motorists," he said in a recent interview.

The city government also maintains that it held a public hearing for various stakeholders.

Moreover, the city government said it would not recognize the Metropolitan Traffic Ticket (MTT) being implemented by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA). Under the MTT, licenses would not be confiscated unless the erring drivers are recidivists or have outstanding penalties.

Under Makati’s traffic code, duly deputized traffic officers in the city are authorized to confiscate driver’s licenses and will issue an Ordinance Violation Receipt (OVR), which will serve as a temporary license for five days.

"Delay or failure to pay the appropriate fines within the five-day redemption period will mean the imposition of an additional five percent surcharge daily until the full amount of the fine and surcharges have been paid," the city government statement said.

"For second and subsequent offenses, the penalties will be two times the value of the most recent fines on record, whether the same has been paid or not, but not to exceed P2,500 per violation. For habitual offenders, or when the violation involves property damage in excess of P10,000, or loss of life, cancellation of the driver’s license will be sought through the Land Transportation Office (LTO)," the statement added.

The Makati Traffic Code was enacted by the city council and approved by Binay in December 2003, through City Ordinance 2003-089.