At least 2,258 riders were caught violating the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority's (MMDA) directive to use the motorcycle lane on Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) in the first two days of its implementation.
On February 14, the first day of the motorcycle lane's implementation on EDSA, 1,403 violators were flagged down, GMANetwork.com reported. The same report said 855 were caught on February 15. In the latest post of MMDA traffic discipline unit head Yves Gonzalez's on Twitter account, he said 624 riders were flagged for not using the motorcycle lane.
"Steady decrease in violators, significant increase in compliance," Gonzalez noted in his online social network account.
Based on MMDA data, the initial violations of the motorcycle lane program included driving with their headlights off, not wearing helmets, and driving without license plates.
During the first week of the motorcycle lane's implementation on EDSA, violators won't be issued traffic violation tickets. They will instead undergo a compulsory five-minute road-safety seminar at designated areas along Roxas Boulevard, Orense, White Plains, Timog and Quezon Avenue. Motorcyclists who complete the seminar will then be given heart-shaped stickers bearing the MMDA logo and the phrases "Certified Motorcycle Riders" and "Disiplinado Ako."
The MMDA has designated EDSA's fourth lane from the sidewalk, from Monumento in Caloocan City to SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City and vice versa, as the motorcycle lane.
