Actor, singer, and Wheels host Matteo Guidicelli recently released an Instagram Story displaying a traffic citation from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority he received in the mail. The vehicle he was in had violated the Yellow Lane Policy on EDSA.
In the short video, he said that he was “very impressed that I got a ticket right here from the MMDA because my van crossed the yellow line into the bus lane.”
In an exclusive interview with Wheels.ph, Guidicelli shared, “It’s a good thing because it’s what they’re (already) doing in Europe and America.” He added that the citation included a photo of the vehicle at the time of the violation, and indicated a P650 fine, which could be paid for through a bank. “We just have to deposit to the MMDA’s account.
“(This) makes you more conscious, and to be always mindful of the rules, because there are cameras all around even if you don’t see enforcers,” he continued.
In April of 2016, the MMDA re-implemented the No-Contact Apprehension Policy, which leverages the agency’s network of closed-circuit television cameras throughout the metropolis to catch traffic violators. Passed as a resolution of the Metro Manila Council, the policy entails the sending of “summons or notice to the vehicle’s owner or operator to identify the driver of the vehicle during the time the traffic violation was captured by the CCTV (closed-circuit television) camera.”
The MMDA website explained: “The notice which will be sent to the owner or operator contains the date, time, location and traffic violation. It also contains a statement that the motorist has the right to contest before the MMDA-Traffic Adjudication Division (TAD) within seven days upon receipt of the summons.”
The recipient can go through a mechanism to formally contest, but if the violation stands, the fine needs to be paid upon receipt of a final notice. If not, the MMDA “will include the vehicle license plate in the Alarm list and will be forwarded to the Land Transportation Office,” and “the driver will not be able to renew the vehicle registration until the fines are settled.”
The violation made by Guidicelli’s driver was made on September 24, 2018.
