MMDA mum on Malacañang’s order vs MTT

"No comment," Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) officials said when asked about Malacañang’s decision to scrap the Metro Traffic Ticketing (MTT) scheme yesterday.

The Star tried to ask the officials what the agency intends to do now that it has been ordered to go back to issuing Traffic Violation Receipts (TVRs) in apprehending traffic violators.

MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando did not even mention anything about the Malacañang order during his weekly radio program on dzBB.

Meanwhile, four bus drivers were cited for violating the Organized Bus Route (OBR) scheme yesterday morning and their respective units were impounded.

The buses belonged to the BBL Bus Line, JT Lines, Scher Transport, and Lekxtas driven by Edison Belo, Ricardo San Jose, Jarmin Michael Lomolbo, and Isidro Parcon.

Traffic enforcers manning EDSA flagged down the buses when they were seen displaying OBR queue cards when none was issued yesterday.

Queue cards are supposed to identify buses under the OBR scheme and which drivers obtain and surrender at bus terminals every day after every completed trip.

And since none were issued yesterday, the drivers were found to have kept their cards believing that they can still use them the following day so that they won’t have to report to the terminal.

Fernando said the bus drivers were cited for violating the OBR rules and regulations but did not say if they were issued MTTs or TVRs.

Transport groups are expected to launch a protest action against Fernando at the MMDA office in Makati City today to air their grievances over how the agency has allegedly been implementing "unfair" traffic policies.

There was no announcement of any cancellation of the strile yesterday despite Malacañang’s decision to favor the public over Fernando and his innovative ways of putting order in Metro Manila’s streets.

Like the OBR, the MTT is supposed to make life easier for everyone especially drivers since they no longer have to surrender their driver’s licenses during apprehensions and they can pay fines through banks.

Under the old TVR system, traffic enforcers can seize the driver’s license and can only be redeemed at specific redemption centers.