MMDA Rains Down Summons on Public Utility Buses: Disputes Still Pending

MANILA: Just like you, we also share this common thought that public utility buses in Manila are overly ignorant and are the major contributors to traffic jams and accidents. If you have been in a state of constant ranting due to such irresponsible driving by public transport vehicles, then it will certainly be a satisfying feeling to see justice finally being served. Thanks to MMDA (Metro Manila Development Authority) newly implemented ‘No Contact Apprehension’, more than 5000 violations against various drivers were recorded in the CCTV cameras across Metro Manila. A majority of these violations were related to picking up and dropping passengers in places other than the designated bus stops.

Public transport vehicles such as Jeepneys, Buses and taxis have proved to be a major problem for the authorities lately, with repeated cases of traffic violations and crime. The news of summons being sent to these violators is certainly a great news for several motorists and public transport users as this will certainly be a lesson learnt the hard way. MMDA have already launched a database of all the various traffic violators caught in their cameras on their website. This will not only help the motorists identify themselves in case they receive a summon and possibly appeal to the authorities in case they aren’t satisfied with the evidence. According to Emerson Carlos who is the current chairman for MMDA, the launch of this service was a response to public demand to provide more transparency in their procedures.

Hence, it is certain that with their names clearly visible to public through the online database, it won’t be easy for these violators to get the law off their backs. The recent string of crimes and repeated reports of irresponsible driving by these public utility buses and vehicles have led the Philippine authorities to take a lot of drastic steps lately. These include a special volunteer program for Jeepney drivers to curb any criminal activities and the aforementioned ‘No-Contact Policy’. A total of 5,329 summons have been sent out, with not a single dispute reported by the officials so far. In their defense, the violators will also have 15 days to appeal against their summon after which, they will have to directly approach the chairman.

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