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By James Konstantin Galvez, Reporter
TRANSPORT groups on Thursday
remained optimistic that the Metropolitan Manila Development
Authority (MMDA) still has a chance to convince the Metro Manila
mayors who are against the single ticketing system for traffic
violations to adopt the scheme.
Alliance of Concerned Transport
Organizations (ACTO) President Efren de Luna said that the Metro
Manila Council (MMC) will sit down on Friday to come up with a way
on how to convince those who are against the ticketing system.
De Luna expressed hope that MMDA
Chairman Bayani Fernando could convince the mayors to adopt the
Metro Manila Traffic Ticketing (MTT) which was fomulated by the
agency and was approved by the majority of the MMC’s members.
The council is the policy-making
body of the MMDA composed of the 17 mayors from Metro Manila.
De Luna said that they are ready
to go back to the streets and even launch a much bigger protest
action if the opposing mayors will insist on using their own traffic
citation tickets.
Metro mayors to clarify issues
with Fernando
League of Cities President and
Mandaluyong Mayor Benhur Abalos urged all Metro Manila mayors to
meet Fernando today to once and for all clarify and settle the
issues surrounding the MTT.
“Let us all attend this
Friday’s meeting with the Chairman [Fernando] to iron things out .
. . Let us resolve all conflicting issues regarding the apprehension
of traffic violators,” Abalos said during last Monday’s meeting
at the Mandaluyong city hall which was attended by 14 of 17 Metro
Manila mayors and representatives from several transport groups.
Most of the mayors who attended
the meeting voiced their opposition towards the MTT.
Fernando has been insistent on
implementing the MTT based on Executive Order No. 712, which was
signed by President Gloria Arroyo mandating the MMDA to implement a
single ticketing system in the metropolis.
He maintained that Republic Act
7924, or the law which created the MMDA, bolstered the agency’s
authority to enforce the single ticketing system in all localities
in Metro Manila.
Fernando even threatened to sue
mayors who will continue to object the implementation of the new
ticketing system.
Mayor Jejomar Binay of Makati
City and other mayors belonging to the opposition namely Mayor
Wenceslao Trinidad of Pasay City, Mayor Tobias Tiangco of Navotas
City, Mayor Joseph Victor Ejercito of San Juan City and Mayor
Alfredo Lim of Manila were the first to oppose the MTT, claiming it
violates the provisions of the Local Government Code.
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