7/27/10

MMDA (An email from my boss)


PRINT AND KEEP A COPY IN YOUR CAR:
 1. No window hours: Makati, Malabon and Las Pinas. Number Coding is in effect
 from 7am to 7pm!
 2. No number coding: Taguig, Marikina and Paranaque. So, feel free to roam
 around these cities anytime.
 3. Pasig City has window hours of 9am to 4pm (note the 1 hour additional to the
 normal 10-3pm window).
 4. San Juan has window hours now according to MMDA website.
 5. Pasay City is implementing Number Coding except on the following roads: Ninoy
 Aquino Avenue, MIA Road, Domestic Road, Portions of Airport Road, Sales Road,
 Tramo.
 6. EDSA, C5, Pres. Diosdado Macapagal Avenue, Roxas Blvd (Pasay) have window
 hours regardless of the city (meaning one can drive via EDSA in Makati any day).
 7. For the rest of Metro Manila (Caloocan, Mandaluyong, Manila, Muntinlupa,
 Navotas, parts of Pasay, Pateros, Quezon City, Taguig, and Valenzuela) number
 coding is in effect (window hours of 10am-3pm is also observed).
 8) IN MAKATI ONLY: IF YOU ARE A SENIOR CITIZEN DRIVING OR A SENIOR CITIZEN IS
 RIDING WITH YOU COLOR CODING DOES NOT APPLY

 TOOLS AGAINST MMDA OFFICERS

 I just reached my limit last weekend, and decided to take action against the
 abusive MMDA enforcers. I basically called up the MMDA head office and inquired
 from the Personnel Officer, Antonio Pagulayan, to clarify their policies. Here is
 what I got.

 If any of these abuses seem familiar to you, Mr. Antonio Pagulayan (Personnel
 Officer) has asked that you call either the MMDA hotline (136) or call the METRO
 BASE at 0920 9389861 or 0920 9389875 and ask for an Inspectorate. They will send
 inspectors to the place where these MMDA officers are extorting, even while you
 are arguing out of your apprehension.

 1. MMDA officers are not allowed to group together in order to apprehend. They
 are not even allowed to stand together in groups of 2 or more. The only time they
 are allowed to work together is for special operations (probably when they
 apprehend groups of buses for smoke belching)

 2. Swerving IS NOT a traffic violation. Moving one lane to the left orright is
 not swerving, no matter where on the road you do it. And it is even less of a
 violation when you do it with a signal. Swerving is defined as shifting 2 or more
 lanes very quickly. So you can argue your way out of this, and call the Metro
 Base for help.

 3. Sadly, using the yellow lane is a traffic violation and will get you a ticket.
 However, buses are really not allowed to go out of the yellow lane, so if you
 see selective apprehension of private cars only, you may complain.

 4. MMDA has confirmed that your license MAY NOT BE CONFISCATED at a traffic
 apprehension. The only time they can do so is if you are part of an accident, or
 it is your third violation and you have not settled your fines yet. They are only
 allowed to give you a ticket, which you can contest. He recommends actually
 receiving the ticket in some instances, so that you can report the officer who
 did it.

 5. Also, you are free to ask any of these officers for their "mission order",
 which is written by their supervisor.
 If they apprehend you for a violation that is not in their mission orderfor the
 day, you can report them and they will receive disciplinary action.