At the moment, the no-contact apprehension policy (NCAP) is still suspended. The program was temporarily shelved after the Supreme Court issued a Temporary Restraining Order on August 30, 2022. There have been several false reports of its comeback, but the MMDA has quashed those rumors quickly.
But just because it’s suspended, it doesn’t mean thatMetropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is working on getting it reinstated. According to GMA News TV, MMDA spokesperson Melissa Carunungan said that the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) is working on reversing the suspension of the policy. There were no further details mentioned, but consider it a heads up from the MMDA.
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The MMDA notes that traffic violations spiked when NCAP suspension took effect. The agency said that it saw an average of 9,500 citations per month during the time NCAP was in place. Following that, the MMDA would record over 20,000 infractions every month. That said, it’s worth noting that the MMDA intensified its physical apprehension efforts following NCAP’s suspension.
So, how can the MMDA bring NCAP back? Aside from the OSG, the agency said it can implement this system with the Single Ticketing System (STS) that took effect in May 2023. Carunungan said that the STS can help address any bugs with NCAP. The spokesperson did not go into detail on how it can fix the issues, but she added that the MMDA is working on it. Carunungan also mentioned that the reversal of the suspension is still pending in the Supreme Court. Should it be reinstated, the MMDA will make an official announcement.
But for now, the MMDA will rely largely on physical apprehensions. Per the MMDA’s statistics, the most common infractions are disregarding traffic signs, number coding violations, illegal loading/unloading, obstruction, dress code violations for motorcyclists, illegal parking, Anti-Distracted Driving Act, reckless driving, and failure to wear helmet.
