Effectively allowing the government agency to move forward with the policy immediately on select roads.
During its session on Tuesday, May 20, the Supreme Court En Banc granted the urgent Motion filed by the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) on behalf of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).
This is with regards to its prayer for the partial lifting of the temporary restraining order (TRO) issued by the highest court against the MMDA’s Resolution No. 16-01, known as the No Contact Apprehension Program.
In its statement, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) shared that it “welcomes the lifting of the temporary restraining order by the Supreme Court on the implementation of the No Contact Apprehension Policy (NCAP), which was suspended by the high tribunal on August 30, 2022.”
With the petition granted, the bureau has since been allowed to utilize closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras along the likes of EDSA and C-5 to apprehend erring drivers.
“The reinstatement of NCAP is expected to strengthen the agency’s traffic management along EDSA and other major thoroughfares, utilizing closed-circuit television cameras, digital cameras, and other technology to capture videos and images of traffic violators, record traffic violations, and issue citations.“
The MMDA also noted that the scheme would be beneficial with the already-scheduled massive rehabilitation of EDSA, which is set to commence on June 13.
Other major roads included in the re-enforced NCAP are Roxas Boulevard, Buendia, E. Rodriguez Avenue, Quezon Avenue, Commonwealth Avenue, and Marcos Highway.
“As the implementation of NCAP resumes, we hope to instill road discipline among motorists,” the agency added.
It also likewise assured that the single ticketing system and new NCAP guidelines “have addressed concerns raised in the petition.“
The MMDA, through the OSG, submitted a Motion for Reconsideration to the Supreme Court, to lift the TRO to “effectively address traffic congestion on Metro Manila’s major thoroughfares and to safeguard the welfare and safety of all road users.”