The P300 penalty for violating Metro Manila’s number coding scheme might seem like spare change to some. If you barely make enough to get by, though? That sum is the difference between having food on the table and going to bed on an empty stomach.
House Bill no. 3423, also called the An Act Protecting the Rights of Motorists, wants to address this issue. Filed by Representative Joey Salceda, the new piece of legislation essentially aims to put a cap on how much motorists can be fined for traffic violations.
The bill in its entirety has yet to be uploaded to the official House of Representatives website. According to a report by GMA News Online, however, the bill proposes that fines for the first offense of a traffic law should not exceed the daily minimum wage in the area where the violation was committed.
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Meanwhile, for the second and third offenses, the penalty must not exceed twice the minimum wage. The bill also proposes to make community service an option for violators who depend on driving for livelihood.
“The point of traffic laws is orderly transport, not punishment. The penalties, especially for local minor traffic violations, can go as high as P3,500 for first offense,” the lawmaker said.
“That is confiscatory, and it sets up room for negotiating with the traffic authorities. The child of confiscatory penalties is kotong,” he added.
We’ll have more on this proposed bill for you once the full document is uploaded to the House of Representatives website. Are you in favor of this passing?
