“ high tech cameras used by first world countries being piloted in Paranaque”
In the recently-concluded round table discussion, members of the motoring media and traffic officials led by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the Department of Transportation and Railways (DOTR) literally endorsed the use of high tech cameras in implementing the no-contact apprehension policy in Parañaque City.
This after the Parañaque Traffic Management Office (PTMO) presented solid evidence linking the use of the cameras with alleviating traffic and lack of motorist discipline in Parañaque City.
Ronnie Rivera, head of the MMDA’s Traffic Management Office, said they are keenly looking at the performance of the pilot program in Parañaque. MMDA intends to install 500 more cameras along EDSA to fully implement the no contact apprehension policy. Heads of the Inter Agency Traffic Council of the Department of Transportation were also present during the meet up.
Ted Barandino, head of the Parañaque City Traffic Management Office (PTMO) says that the ‘no contact apprehension’ policy in Parañaque City has cut traffic violation cases by around 20% since March of this year. From daily traffic violation cases of about 100-200 cases before the implementation of the no contact policy, now, PTMO reports a decrease of about 50-100 violations per day.
Barandino says the camera systems are a great help since it lessens the volume of traffic violations in their city and enables the PTMO to focus on other problems, like road obstructions. After the installation of the cameras, PTMO personnel can now concentrate on managing vehicle volume and flow in other areas of the city.
Five high tech cameras with applied radar technologies have since been installed along the Sucat road, specifically in Sucat-Kabihasnan intersection and the one in EVACom in Parañaque. Barandino said that the no contact apprehension system was of great assistance to their efforts in catching erring motorists.
The system gave certain areas in Parañaque City, round the clock monitoring and apprehension of erring motorists. Camera surveillance systems are equipped with the latest computer technologies that enable the instantaneous reportage of violations to the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and LTFRB database.
QPAX Managing Director Manolo Ona who partnered with the Parañaque City government in this project says these cameras are capable of distinguishing vehicle plate numbers that passed erroneously through red lights. Information are then transmitted to the city’s central traffic hub and processed for the issuance of citations per approval of the PTMO.
“These high tech cameras are able to detect certain violations well like the those that stopped in the yellow box, illegally change lane, number coding, vehicle classification, among others,” Ona claimed.
Barandino claims that the system will only take two to three days from the time of detection of the violation to the approval of sanctions from his office. A citation ticket will be generated and sent thru regular snail mail from the Philpost.
Parañaque’s program is acutely similar to the no-contact apprehension implemented by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), where violators will receive a subpoena for the violator. While the MMDA uses ordinary CCTV cameras, the Parañaque city government utilises these high tech cameras to eliminate human intervention.
After catching the license plate of the erring vehicle on-cam, it will then be identified through the Land Transportation Office’s database for them to be able to issue a subpoena if needed.
A news report claimed that there are about 20 more cameras that are to be installed that will be use not just for traffic monitoring but for peace and order as well.
First world Asian countries such as Malaysia, Singapore and Hongkong use the same technologies as those being used by Parañaque city government. Camera systems which use high resolution technologies are often credited in improving traffic and instilling motorist discipline in these countries.
