The Metro Manila Traffic Code of 2023 to likely bring back the NCAP by April

The Metro Manila Council (MMC), all 17 mayors, passed the Metro Manila Traffic Code of 2023, paving the way for things like the LTO’s single-ticketing system. Implementation of the new ticketing system, along with the rest of the Metro Manila Traffic Code of 2023, across the National Capital Region will be set for March 15, 2023, according to the members of the council. 

With this in play, and with the potential to reduce the confusion that motorists experience when trying to pay off their violation tickets, a few things will change such as driver’s license confiscation will not be allowed anymore, and violators will need to pay their tickets online or through Bayad Centers. 

Because of this innovation, the No Contact Apprehension Policy (NCAP) is set for a return, with a date set somewhere between either March and April. It remains to be seen whether the Supreme Court will be in favor of the new single ticketing system, which will also be set for implementation in April according to sources. To be clear, the single ticketing system will be set in April, with the NCAP implementation in the same month having a possibility of pushing through along with the single ticket system. 

LGUs without the proper equipment to have their own NCAP will be provided for by the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA). Meanwhile, cities and Local Government Units (LGUs) that already have their own will need to integrate directly with the new Land Transportation Management System (LTMS). 

Apart from that, the system’s implementation in April will also depend on the LGUs, once standardized fines and common traffic violations are identified, those which are otherwise not or not yet stated in the traffic code. 

It remains to be seen whether the NCAP will make a sure return to Metro Manila, but based on how the MMC is moving and conducting its actions, it seems to be leading up to that. The NCAP will be in full force this year, it seems, backed by mayors and their equipment, as well as a single ticketing system that’s unified and standardized.