By Joe Ferreria, president at Automobile Association of the Philippines
There is much furor about the No Contact Apprehension Program (NCAP) being implemented Metro-wide. At first glance, it would seem like a Pandora’s box was opened. However, upon close scrutiny of the commentary in social media from both the naysayers and those in support of NCAP, there are more people who are for it.
The Nays complain they were assessed 200k in fines when they went to the LTO to register their vehicles. One netizen responded that if the fine was Php1,000 on average per violation, a 200K total penalty would have meant easily 200 violations. Someone who accumulates that many violations does not even deserve to have a driver’s license.
Another commented on the corruption of the system. I looked at the NCAP process and could not find any basis for that, since a camera takes a clear picture of the license plate of a vehicle in the act of committing a violation. How can you corrupt a camera, and how can you bribe a system where you don’t talk to anyone except the bank, GCash or other payment facilities available in malls? Remove human interaction and presto, you remove all these corrupt activities on the road emanating from a conversation between erring driver and traffic officer.
Then there were complaints about the fines. I have written about the fines for the two most common traffic violations. These are for loading and unloading in a prohibited zone and disregarding traffic signs. You can guess who are the perennial violators there. It used to be Php140 for the first, the second and the third and onward violation. That’s not even a slap on the wrist. No wonder everyone ignores it.
When the fines are severe, drivers and pedestrians pay attention, as what we can see now. My son-in-law, who lives in another country, parked in front of his house to unload a sofa from the car. He was gone for less than 5 minutes and when he got back to the car, it was being towed away. He had to pay a $300 fine because the front of his house was a prohibited parking zone.
Not so in this country. Just watch the Facebook videos of MMDA Special Operations head Bong Nebrija as argument after argument happens every day when the MMDA removes illegally parked vehicles. To avoid large fines, simply follow road rules. How complicated is that?
I am no saint, I also make mistakes and I was one of the first caught by the EDSA NCAP system several years ago. There was no one to argue with and I had to pay through the bank. Those cameras can pick up a bug on top of your car, there is no escaping them. I just shut up, realized my mistake and paid the penalty in full. I must also admit, I got the letter notice but forgot to attend to it, until the registration of my wife’s vehicle came around.
Some argue that the NCAP is unfair for it penalizes the owner of the vehicle instead of the erring driver. These comments get quickly answered by netizens themselves. One retorted that if you lend your vehicle to someone, it is your responsibility to make sure he will drive your car properly and that he will not violate any traffic regulation.
I drove in the US once and my aunt, who lent me her car, called the insurance company to tell them that I was driving her vehicle. The notice included dropping by the sheriff’s office so that even law enforcement people would be in the know. At a traffic stop, you will note the police officer will compare the driver’s license with the authorized driver declared in their records. Wala ka talagang ligtas.
In the absence of such a system, we just have to be content with the fine being imposed on the vehicle, so do be careful when you lend your car to someone else, including your children.
I was a bit taken aback when the LTO suggested that LGUs consider suspending the system. Another howl of protests ensued from those who support NCAP.
The NCAP works, it should be supported and not vilified. It should receive major funding from legislative action. It should be rolled out nationwide. If one day we finally discipline all drivers in this country, if we all follow rules, then there is hope that we are on the threshold of greatness as a nation because we finally have understood the rule of law.
This column appeared on the Automobile Association of the Philippines Supplement, Philippine Daily Inquirer issue of Friday, August 19, 2022
