Convinced of the practicality of using digital gadgets in apprehending traffic violators, the Metro Manila Council (MMC) has approved the 90-day extension of the No Physical Contact Policy (NPCP) of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).

The 17 Metro Manila mayors composing the MMC, the policy-making body of the MMDA, endorsed the re-implementation of the NPCP after the agency noted a significant contribution of the program in catching erring motorists through the use of digital and closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras in recording traffic violations.

MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando welcomed the decision of the MMC, citing records that the 90-day experimental run of the NPCP from January to April this year contributed to 23 percent of the 234,385 traffic apprehensions made during the same period.

“NPCP is a modern system of penalizing traffic violation because this does not involve chasing the violator or the vehicle. Moreover, corruption is prevented because this scheme avoids the personal interaction of an erring driver and traffic enforcer,” Fernando said.

For his part, Executive Director Angelito Vergel De Dios said the Traffic Operations Center (TOC) recorded a total of 53,888 citations under the NPCP, or an average of 898 traffic tickets issued per day.

“With what we have learned from the trial period, we believe that we can improve and utilize the NPCP scheme as one way of strengthening our apprehension efforts and imparting into the consciousness of the public, MMDA’s intent and capability to strictly enforce traffic rules as a means of exacting discipline and order, and most importantly as a measure of improving the traffic flow in the major roads,” De Dios said.

Under MMDA Resolution No. 09-02 approving the implementation of NPCP, a violator caught on camera will be sent a notice from the MMDA, giving him seven days from receipt to pay his corresponding fines or appeal his apprehension for review.

The notice contains the image or photo clip of the vehicle while in the act of violating certain traffic rules, as well as the date, time, location and the nature of the traffic infraction.

When the seven-day period lapses and the notice has not been settled, the MMDA will send a final notice to the erring violator informing him to immediately settle his citation ticket. If the notice has not been settled still, the MMDA will forward the driver’s license number of the motorist to the Land Transportation Office.

The non-paying motorist will not be able to renew his driver’s license with the LTO in the future until he has paid his traffic dues.