Contesting MMDA traffic violation tickets
Thursday
Oct 22, 2009
MMDA deploys an army of blue-clad so-called traffic enforcers all over the metro and I hate them as much as I hate their “MMDA Labs You” tarpaulin banners which is a lot.
Motorists like me have learned to steer clear of these boys in blue. They seem to serve absolutely no other purpose than to hand out tickets to motorists erring or not. And they only seem to be around when the number coding scheme is in effect or during merienda time, otherwise they magically disappear.
Given our history of red tape, one of the most irritating things that a driver can experience on the road is to be apprehended by traffic cops and enforcers. For one, some of their charges are oftentimes absurd interpretations of traffic laws. As for MMDA traffic enforcers, I had more than one nasty encounter with them.
Here’s one instance. I was driving in one of the crazier areas of Quezon City (somewhere in the south triangle) and since I am not too familiar with the area and forgot my city atlas (a must-have for motorists) so I decided to pull over (carefully, signal lights and all) and ask one of them. I haven’t even rolled down my window when he whipped out his ticket book and started writing stuff on it. With my window down, I was then greeted with a smug, “Ser, lisensya niyo.”
It already took great humility in part as a manly man to ask for directions and the fellow returns my courtesy with a traffic ticket. In the days of old, I would have contented myself slapping that person’s face with my gloves and challenge him to a duel. But then again, those were the days of horse and buggy and traffic enforcers would’ve been more than pointless.
It’s a good thing that these MMDA boys get more than befuddled by a stream of polysyllabic words in English that he simply waved me off. And I never even got directions. Had I not been lucky that day, I would’ve gotten a juicy ticket. Rather than incovenience myself with contesting tickets with their so-called Traffic Adjudication Board, I would’ve paid. Because here’s what you have to go through to contest a citation:
- File a written complaint with the TAB
- Secure verification and clearance from data division to clear you from existing tickets
- Hearing officer schedules hearing and both motorist and enforcer are summoned
- Both parties are heard in the hearing
- Protest to be decided through resolution
- Head of TAB reviews and approves the resolution
- If citation is upheld, motorist deals with the fine/sanction
Here’s a video to boot.
It’s nice to see that there’s a venue to contest such charges but easily that’s at least a couple of workdays lost if you decide to go through with it. And time is more than a luxury for the working Filipino. I have yet to meet someone who has gone through the process and succeeded.
On another instance, I got a ticket for “illegal parking.” Know that pink line along sidewalks? Apparently, they’d slap you with a violation even if only an inch of your bumper encroaches the pretty pink line. That time, there was no reasoning with the enforcer since the ticket was just left pinned under my windshield wiper. I just dropped by a Metrobank branch and paid the ticket. I just kept the payment stub and a photocopy for future reference.
Anyway, my point is, if there’s one thing that these enforcers should do is to direct traffic first, watch out for violators second. But I guess that’s why Mr. Fernando elected to call them “enforcers” and not “aides”.
Tough lab.
Image credit: MMDA
Comments
work at home dad
October 22nd, 2009 at 3:59 am
Back in 2004 I got one of those tickets. I paid via Metrobank branch but guess what. When I renewed my license just last year 2008, LTO said I need to clear my tickets with MMDA.
I needed to go to MMDA in Edsa very early in the morning, waiting in line for a couple of hours just to find out that their records did not show any payment of a lone violation that happened back in 2004. They asked for a receipt but of course, what will you do with a 5 year old receipt? Most probably I already threw it away.
So to keep the story short, the only way to clear my records is to pay for the same violation the second time.
They don’t even have systems in place to ensure that all payments to metrobank have been entered on their system.
Bulok talaga! Sayang sa oras.
J. Angelo
October 23rd, 2009 at 2:38 am
I guess that’s why bribery is rampant. People would rather just pay their way off than go through hoops to settle a violation. I got a ticket once, stuck to my winsdhield wiper (Lucius is right–seems they ticket you even if your car sticks out the pink line a few inches). Paid at Metrobank a few days after. Problem solved. I was irked at first, but I took it as a lesson. And I was quite happy that they now give you the convenience of paying at any Metrobank branch.
Now the bad thing about this is that the parking attendants at the place my car got the ticket (Katipunan Avenue) were removing the tickets from parked cars. This way, owners will not realize they have a violation ticket until it’s too late! That day, I didn’t give the parking attendants any tip. I was irked enough that I got a ticket. But what annoyed me even more is that the attendants were getting motorists into even more trouble by hiding the tickets (presumably so they will still get tipped).
Andre Marcelo-Tanner
October 22nd, 2009 at 4:06 am
I heard on the radio that the rules are they can only ticket you if they saw the actual violation?
J. Angelo
October 23rd, 2009 at 2:40 am
I think so, yes. But you know how some policemen will invent their own rules just to squeeze a few pesos out of you. I hear they get a share of violation receipts (although I’m not sure), but it’s only a small fraction of the price. So whether you bribe them or pay through the legal channels, they still get money out of apprehensions.
Lucius
October 25th, 2009 at 11:07 pm
Ever heard of those phantom MMDA tickets issued to you that only seem to pop up when registering your vehicle or renewing your license? Was afraid I’d get one of those. Well, you can check out if your plate of license has any flags by texting:
LTO VEHICLE [plate number, no spaces]
or
LTO LICENSE [license number, no spaces or dashes]
and send to 2600.
Costs you Php 2.50, I think.
roscel caranza
October 26th, 2009 at 7:26 am
now a days these mmda traffic enforcer are only bound to enforce traffick ticket and not to help motorist, they dont give a dammed, i called them ticket maniacs to tell you i got two tickets one is for lane violation in edsa going to east ave. entering puj,pub lane,you got to used binoculars to see the private lane were you were supposed to enter this 2004 i have this ticket until now, and i hate to pay for this one . the other is just recently, color coding just ten meters away from the bounderies of pasig and cainta going floodway, as if you are playing basketball a line violation call from a reff.what a consideration from men in blue of pasig.
grace
November 14th, 2009 at 6:12 am
do you need to bring your license when you pay the illegal parking ticket in metrobank? need reply asap.. thanks!
Alex
November 16th, 2009 at 8:46 am
Nope. You don’t need to bring your license though you might have to jot down you license number if the ticket has your name. Chances are the ticket would be c/o your car/plate number.
mina
November 24th, 2009 at 7:09 am
im going to one of those hearings tomorrow. it’s my first time to go through such thing — any tips? my boss told me to just keep my cool. hah. my license got confiscated for a counterflow violation — but i decided to contest since there was no “no entry” signs on the street (exchange road, from meralco ave, going to san miguel ave). told the ‘deputized’ dude ill just settle it at metrobank, but he said it’s a major violation and they need to confiscate my license. bad trip!
michelle
May 31st, 2010 at 6:39 pm
Hi there,
Just last night May 30, I was harrassed and by Makati Police for no valid reason. I was dropping off my boyfriend outside his condo which was in Skyland Plaza and we were in Tindalo Road, Just opposite AXXA building at 10pm. I was just parked behind two cars.. rather I was just stopping so technically I was just there for like 10 mins. Anyway, a makati police car pulled over and asked for my licence as apparently I was ‘ OBSTRUCTION TO TRAFFIC’! dude there was no cars around. It was 10 pm! anyway I contested and asked what was my violation and they replied it was obstruction but I asked back and said where was the traffic.
The so called cop could not answer me and replied that he didnt have time to go through his so called ‘ books’!! He was asking for my licence without any knowledge of what traffic rule I violated. ( as if there was). Long story short, he threaten me and took my licence. I refused to give sign the ticket that he gave out, where his comments wrote: arrogant, DTO and refuse to surrender my licence. What was worse was that for some reason he noted that the event occured at 10 am. Where in fact it was at 10pm. I have security guards as witnesses to this.
i am so appalled by this behvaior and to be honest I feel sick to my stomach whenever i have to pay my VAT and taxes.
The next step is that I have to go to Malugay Police Station for this. Keep you guys posted.
MV
June 7th, 2010 at 12:37 am
i just got back from malugay Thursday… paid my dues… and got my driver’s license back… guess what? my drivers’ license just got confiscated again… by the makati police…
violation??? the cover of my license plate is yellowish and they cant read my license plate easily… i begged.. explained… that i didnt know… and i didnt even know such rules exist… and my license and my license plate were renewed with the cover on it…
and in fact, i just got my driver’s license and the previous police took my license plate just fine…
but too late… because i gladly showed my driver’s license knowing i didnt do any violance… of course, i didnt get my driver’s license back…
you know what the police told me… “i can just give you a lower citation.” i almost cursed… ggggrrrr!!!! it was so horrible driving for another hour… seeing how every other vehicle violates traffic rules… such as stopping in the middle of the road… and i got my ticket confiscated for having a yellowish cover plate????
i didnt want to sign the paper… but figured… i wouldnt be able to go with that… i wrote “i contest” and sign….
and now i am researching how to contest and am pretty sure i will not be able to easily do it as easily as they took my driver’s license?
should i contest??? what’s the point?
can we do a class action?
J. Angelo
June 8th, 2010 at 10:20 pm
I believe the plate cover ruling depends on local/city jurisdictions. I’m not sure about the exact promulgations, but I’ll try to make a search. For one, I recall that clear glass plates are legal, but tinted glass plates are not. Tinted plastic plates are also not legal. I believe yellowish plate covers will fall under this.
A tip I learned from foreign embassy/consulate websites: don’t surrender your license. Make several colored photocopies. If an enforcer asks for your license, show the original, but don’t hand it to the enforcer. I believe the MMDA no longer confiscates license. If the enforcer is from the PNP TMG or other city government, I’m not sure if this rule applies. But if they don’t have your original license, they’re less likely to hold it hostage just for you to agree to the violation.
Remember that there are also SOPs that enforcers follow when apprehending a driver. They can’t just ask you to step down, roll down your window fully, nor forcibly get something from the inside of your car (unless they suspect a crime currently occurring).
I’ll try to do more research on this.
BTW, I believe its’ the Makati police or Makati city traffic police that’s quite strict with license plate covers (and a lot of other traffic rulings). Chances are, if you registered your MV at other LTO branches, they wouldn’t likely mind the tinted plastic cover. But Makati traffic police are often on the lookout for such.
reden
June 17th, 2010 at 9:50 am
i was issued a traffic violation receipt for illegal parking which obviously i didnt do, i just stopped a few minutes alongside ortigas pasig bound infront of la salle coz i saw my car temp rising a bit, i stopped beside the cars parked on the sidewalk bec. i saw a lot of drivers (waiting for the dismissal of the students), in case i need help, so i flashed my hazard lights then a woman mmda just stuck a receipt on my windshield got her camera, im not so sure if she was able to take a picture but at this time, i drove away. i think this is part of their no physical contact policy, which for me is prone to abuse by the mmda. i didnt argue with her bec. at that time i wasnt feeling well coz i think my bp was high, i was afraid that if i get into an argument bka ma-stroke pa ako. do you think i have to wait for the first notice or settle the fine thru metrobank?
Baby
July 5th, 2010 at 1:50 pm
Hi, I just got issued a traffic violation receipt yesterday with the same blueboy who issued me traffic violation receipt just last month. He said he will just limit it to obstruction instead of counterflow because counterflow is too costly. Some policemen just ignore and let us though when we counterflow because they understand there is no more u-turn in E. Rodriguez and I live in Pasig and would have to go to Tiendesitas or IPI which is already in Quezon City. That’s how far I would drive just to go back in Pasig. I admit my mistake but it’s too short or close to the place I am going. It’s funny, I was just on my way to buy pandesal that morning and there was no traffic because it’s a Sunday and it’s only around 6:30am when suddenly that blueboy with his motorbike headed towards me. They only work and suddenly shows up when it’s not hot outside. Again, it was a Sunday. He should be considerate. I just thought to myself “Nakaka awa naman” “Makakarma ka rin.” or maybe mag aral kaya ako ng pagiging MMDA mukang malakas benta dito.
Baby
July 6th, 2010 at 5:54 am
NEWS FEEDS: MMDA, LTO sharpen teeth against erring drivers. Pero kapag balik bayan ka, Hero’s of the country ang tingin sayo… Ang kakapal din ng mukha eh no? There’s no such thing as law abiding citizen in this country… In the States, you will notice that even police officers follow traffic signals. They don’t go on a green light just because they are officers… It’s only here in the Philippines I think, maybe in other countries they follow strict compliance too… Well, of course if you’re in pursuit then use your badge, not use your badge to collect more money from violators…