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MMDA to install 100 more CCTV cameras on major roads to improve traffic monitoring

By Pat C. Santos

10/23/2009

One hundred additional closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras will be installed by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) along the major thoroughfares starting this week.

The new cameras will be placed along the seven major roads, namely, Edsa, Commonwealth Avenue, C-5 Road, Marcos Highway, Quirino Avenue, MacArthur Highway and Radial Road 10.

MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando said the augmentation of the existing number of cameras is needed to further improve safety surveillance and traffic monitoring in the metropolis.

The CCTV cameras are being monitored by Metrobase, MMDA’s central traffic monitoring center located at the agency’s main office in Makati City.

“Through the additional cameras, we can catch more errant drivers as well as traffic enforcers.

“Hence, it will strengthen and boost our No Physical Contact Policy and anti-bribery campaign,” Fernando said.

The target completion date for the project is on Dec. 12, 2009. By then, all the cameras are expected to be fully operational.

Meanwhile, Milagros Silvestre, head of the Communications and Command Center, reported that the MMDA was able to generate P24 million from long pending unpaid traffic tickets through the MMDA-LTO Interconnectivity from March 24, 2008 to Oct. 15, 2009.

A total of 115,197 traffic violations have been paid out of the 506,000 archived through the interconnectivity system.

The MMDA-LTO interconnectivity system was launched early last year, paving the way for a faster exchange of information and coordination between the two government agencies regarding traffic matters. It was also designed to increase the collection of traffic fines.

The system puts into an alarm list drivers with unsettled traffic violations. They need to pay the corresponding fines first before they can renew their vehicle registrations or licenses.