MMDA, LTO sharpen teeth against erring drivers

Drivers with outstanding accounts with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) due to traffic violations will no longer be able to renew the registration of their vehicles at the Land Transportation Office (LTO).

Systems of the MMDA and the LTO are now interconnected so both agencies can exchange information regarding traffic violators starting today.

"When the driver has unsettled traffic violations with the MMDA, he cannot renew his motor vehicle registration with the LTO. He has to go to us, pay his traffic fines, and then it will only be the time that we will remove him from our alarm list," Fernando said.

Prior to the implementation of the new internet-based interconnectivity system, the MMDA only forwarded names of drivers with outstanding traffic violation fines to the LTO, which in turn prohibits erring drivers from renewing their driver's license.

The MMDA hopes the new system will encourage more drivers to immediately pay their traffic violations fines. After all, drivers caught with unregistered or improperly registered vehicles are charged between P2,000 and P4,000 based on the new guidelines of the LTO .