HAS the city of Manila turned the no-contact apprehension policy into a cash cow?
Your guess is as good as mine.
Last week, my daughter, who is the registered owner of the vehicle I’m driving, received a notice from the Manila Traffic and Parking Bureau informing her of a violation committed at P. Burgos (Gen. Luna) St., Westbound Lane (turning right on a red light). This was on April 12, 2021 and the penalty for the violation was P3,000.
A check with the city’s no-contact apprehension website showed that I had three violations. The notice that arrived showed it was the second offense and the penalty was P3,000. As everybody knows now, the penalty for the first violation is P2,000.
While I don’t deny committing the violation, there are some things that I want to be enlightened on.
First, where is the notice of my first violation? And the third?
The notice that arrived was post-marked May 12, 2021. That’s exactly a month after the violation was committed. It took that long for the city of Manila to inform my daughter that a violation had been committed? Why?
And why wasn’t she informed, right away, after the first violation was committed?
I’m asking this because had notice been sent right away after the first violation, I would have been properly warned. I have yet to see where I committed my first and third violations but I have this feeling they happened in the same area.
This is clearly spelled out in the implementing rules and regulations of this policy, that those who are caught (violating) will be sent a summon in the mail, complete with their specific violation, the fine imposed, and the method of payment in order to settle the violation. Where are those notices?
Hopefully, there is no deliberate attempt to withhold the first notice so another violation would soon be committed. Get the drift?
Another question: Where are the penalties for the no-contact apprehension going? Of course, they go to the coffers of the city. And what does the city do with the pile of money coming in?
It would be nice if the city of Manila could upgrade its stoplights (make them digital) in other areas, not just Espana and Roxas Blvd. Motorists would appreciate it if they are given an inkling that in so many seconds, the light would turn to yellow and then red. You don’t want to stop on the pedestrian crossing or the yellow box.
And why not a raise in the salary of its MTPB personnel, so they won’t resort to traffic traps and mulch motorists? (By the way, there’s this MTPB guy on Legarda St. flagging down motorists for imagined violations. Mind you, this guy is over 60, so he’s a fake. Does City Hall know this?)
Mind you, during this pandemic, every penny counts. The P2,000 penalty is stiff, much more the P3,000.
That explains why the city’s no-contact apprehension is now trending on social media. Like me, motorists who have been served a notice of violation are asking a lot of questions, mostly on why the fines are sky-high. Why not P500 for the first violation?
Is somebody building a war chest for the coming election?
