Based on a request made by Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benhur Abalos, the 17 mayors of Metro Manila have all agreed to suspend the confiscation of driver’s licenses of erring motorists in order to give way to the creation of the proposed single ticketing system.
Unanimously, all of the said mayors have agreed for the imposition of a moratorium on confiscating driver’s licenses in the National Capital Region (NCR) while the guidelines for the interconnectivity program that will be used for the single ticketing system are being ironed out.
Those who will be involved in the creation of the said guidelines are the 17 local government units (LGUs) themselves, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the Land Transportation Office (LTO). “I am asking for help from our colleagues at the MMDA and the new mayors: as we are talking about imposing a moratorium, perhaps, there’s no confiscation of driver’s licenses for the meantime while we are building the interconnectivity program, and they allowed me to do so,” Abalos, who was also the former chairman of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), told a press briefing.
Once the guidelines are finalized, city and municipal councils in the entire Metro Manila will be enacting ordinances mandating the suspension on the confiscation of driver’s licenses.
Also included in the topics of discussion would be the prices to be imposed under the single ticketing system. Abalos assured that the metro mayors and the MMDA are inclined to come up with lower penalties.
The interconnectivity program, according to Sec. Abalos, would enable the LGUs in Metro Manila, the MMDA and the LTO to maintain a common database that will register the details of erring drivers apprehended anywhere in the region, said Abalos.
Currently, the LTO has the sole authority to seize driver’s licenses, despite the authority given to LGUs to enforce their own ordinances pursuant to the Local Government Code.
With the suspension of the confiscation of driver’s licenses in place, Abalos cautioned that the names of erring motorists would be listed down by traffic authorities while the moratorium is in effect. The said list, in turn, will be given to the LTO.
***
(Comments and suggestions may be emailed to peoplestonightonline@gmail.com.)
