Host and road safety advocate James Deakin admitted to having “trust issues” with the “No Contact Apprehension Policy” after an electric vehicle (EV) was flagged for allegedly violating the number coding scheme.
On Sunday, October 5, Deakin reacted to a Facebook post by the “Philippine EV Community,” which reported that a vehicle with a legal green plate had been flagged by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority‘s NCAP in a camera placed in the SM Megamall area.
The online community shared a screenshot of an image captured by the NCAP camera, which indicated that the vehicle’s violation was: “Driving in ignorance of traffic restriction on plate number,” with the “Violation Code: 1116.”
“According to the owner, they have already contested the violation,” the online community said.
Deakin shared the post and commented, “This is why I have trust issues with NCAP.”
His post has garnered 1,000 likes and reactions, 41 shares, and over 260 comments, with many online users sharing their thoughts on the incident.
“Could have been easily checked what car it was. I can see it is a Nissan Kicks with just a little zoom. Could have [saved] everyone the trouble,” a Facebook user commented.
Nissan Kicks is a subcompact SUV that features a 100% electric motor-driven power generated by a gas engine.
“Dun pa lang sa magco-contest ka, talo ka na! Sayang ang oras, not to mention, the stress na idudulot niyan. Tapos mag-so-sorry lang sila or dispute the ticket. Kaya ang lalakas ng loob manghuli ng mga ‘yan eh, walang consequence ang mga ‘yan,” another said.
“Ang hirap nito ‘yung mali nila, ikaw ang obligado mag-contest, sayang pa isang araw mo sa trabaho. It should be a simple fix. Wala bang database ‘yung plate number?, to determine the exact model of the car. From there, makita na hybrid and should exempt that plate number from number coding,” another Facebook user said.
Electric vehicles (EVs) in the Philippines, whether hybrid or fully electric, are exempt from the number coding scheme implemented in Metro Manila.
EVs are also issued a special license plate to differentiate them from the regular gasoline and diesel-fueled vehicles. Instead of black ink, the letters and numbers on these plates are green.
Meanwhile, the NCAP is a system enforced by the MMDA on major roads in Metro Manila. Under this policy, violators of traffic rules are caught on CCTV cameras that record their license plates.
The policy aims to promote discipline among motorists and eliminate incidents of bribery and extortion between enforcement officials and drivers.
Motorists who receive a notice of violation from NCAP can contest it through the MMDA Traffic Adjudication Division’s online filing platform.
