MMDA Traffic Penalties: A Lucrative Opportunity

I had the good fortune to hitch a ride with an officemate after work which meant a reprieve from the usual  10 minute walk to Edsa for my bus ride home.  Although it was not a door to door delivery for me it also meant minus Php 15 from the usual fare with my drop off point at Kamias.  Thank God for little miracles!

Anyway, as we traversed the Edsa route I couldn't help but notice a lot of private vehicles lined up on the "bus only" lane.  That got me ranting off on the other traffic and pedestrian violations that has gone unchecked and unpenalized.  By golly!  If I were the MMDA chairman I'd have my men line up along Edsa and ticket all those violators!  Just imagine how much revenue I can get from all those penalties!  And that's only along Edsa!  Expand that strategy along all MMDA covered roads and I'm sure that the agency will become the most lucrative in less than a year!  

Just this evening close to 20 private vehicles were inside the bus lane.  Do you know how much penalty that violation entails?  Php 1,200!  20 x Php 1,200 = Php 24,000 for that moment alone!  Did you know that having tinted windshield is illegal?  Yesireee!  And it carries a penalty of Php 500.  I'm sure more than 500 vehicles have tinted windshield; so if MMDA strictly implements this rule and penalizes these vehicles that would be an easy Php 250,000!  Oh, and there are those colorum vehicles!  When MMDA had a colorum crackdown last August 5, 2010 they netted 196 buses, taxicabs and AUVs along Edsa.  At Php 500 penalty the agency should have added Php 98,000 in their coffers!  

A few months back, MMDA implemented a 60kph speed limit along Commonwealth Avenue.  As usual, "ningaskugon" prevailed and it was good only a couple of days.  After that no more speed scanners and no more MMDA during critical times (especially in the evening).  Buses are notorious!  I ride a bus everyday and 90% of the time the buses that I'm on fly through Commonwealth Avenue!  With the right equipment and enough manpower catching 50 violators a day would be chicken feed and in the process earn the agency another Php 60,000 @ Php 1,200 penalty!

I can go on and on about this.  Here is an opportunity for our government to earn and at the same time instill discipline to our erring motorists.  

Only if the gentlemen sitting on the MMDA Chair open his eyes... 


To check on the list of MMDA traffic penalties click on this link 
http://www.mmda.gov.ph/penalties.html