It has been a long time coming, but the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority will soon be rolling out a unified single ticketing system for all the cities of the megalopolis. This should reduce the confusion among motorists on what penalties to settle as they cross the different city boundaries within Metro Manila.
With this in mind, the MMDA has just released the list of violations and corresponding fines. Along with a forthcoming option to settle these violations electronically—thus saving you a time-consuming trip to the agency’s office—the new arrangement could also help reduce corruption as it would be simpler to just pay on the spot (as you should) rather than attempt to bribe the enforcer.
But don’t think that the new penalty rates will be so cheap that you can afford to break the rules and just pay up. The way it goes is that the system can pile up one violation on top of another if your enforcer is feeling grumpy (or just by-the-book).
For example, if you run a red light, you can be fined P1,000 for “Disregarding Traffic Signs.” But if you were going dangerously fast, you could also be fined for “Reckless Driving” (another P1,000 for the first offense, plus a trip to the infamous ‘seminar’).
And what if you were also not wearing your seatbelt? Another P1,000. And finally, what if you were being confrontational to boot? That’ll be another P500. For a simple violation, you could potentially end up paying P3,500.
Keep these penalties in mind, follow all traffic rules and regulations, and always be polite and respectful if you’re ever pulled over. Driving responsibly will save you a lot of time and money in the long run.
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