The Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) announced that the no-contact apprehension policy (NCAP) will once again take effect on Monday, May 26, after the Supreme Court (SC) partially lifted the temporary restraining order (TRO) it issued against the policy earlier this week.
MMDA chairman Romando Artes said the NCAP would be enforced on the following seven major roads in Metro Manila:
- EDSA
- Commonwealth
- Quezon Avenue
- Roxas Boulevard
- C-5
- Ortigas Avenue
- Macapagal Boulevard
These major thoroughfares are under the jurisdiction of the MMDA, which is covered by the lifting of the temporary restraining TRO of the Supreme Court.
“The TRO is only lifted with respect to the MMDA, but it still remains with respect to the LGU (local government unit) ordinances,” SC spokesperson Camille Sue Mae Ting was quoted as saying at a press briefing on Tuesday, May 20.
The high court lifted the TRO issued against NCAP in August 2022 after the urgent motion filed by the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) on behalf of the MMDA.
In its urgent motion, OSG flagged 833,000 traffic violations since NCAP’s 2022 suspension, saying MMDA’s single-ticketing system is not enough to fix worsening road discipline.
On Friday, May 23, the MMDA released guidelines for the NCAP. It stated that traffic violations will be recorded through CCTV cameras. Notices of violation will be sent to the registered address of the vehicle, its private owner, or the bus company involved.
The MMDA emphasized the need to enforce NCAP ahead of expected traffic from the EDSA rehabilitation starting June 13.
— Rosette Adel with reports from The STAR
