THE city government of Davao City is looking to implement the No Contact Apprehension Policy (NCAP) in the near future with the help of prototype traffic cameras installed at C.P Garcia highway (Diversion Road).
Dionisio Abude, chief of the City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO) said that the Traffic Code of Davao City contains provisions on the implementation of no physical contact apprehension.
Under Section 159 of the Traffic Code (City Ordinance 0334-12 series of 2012) the CTTMO is authorized to install CCTV in strategic places such as roads, streets and highways of Davao City to record traffic violations.
Abude during his guesting at the Kapehan sa Kadangpan online forum bared that a technology company has installed smart cameras along Diversion Road as a POC (proof-of-concept) for an NCAP system.
Installed for testing by IT firm WHP Prime Master Holdings the three checkpoint cameras are part of the Smart Traffic Enforcement System which the city is checking for viability.
These cameras can detect and capture speed limit violations, seatbelt violations, distracted driving like using cellphones.
Abude said currently the cameras had a problem regarding electrical connection.
“Adunay problema bahin sa connection sa koryente. murag wala nacomply ug requirements ang contractor sa Davao Light,” Abude said.
(There is problem with the power connection. Perhaps the contractor did not comply with the requirements of Davao Light.)
He said if the problem is fixed and the cameras start working again, they are looking at ways of connecting it directly with the Land Transportation Office (LTO) so they can issue summons to violators days after being captured on camera.
“Gina-studyhan namo na dapat naa na tay connection sa LTO. So that every capture we can identify the plate number through LTO,” the traffic chief said.
(We are studying if there is a connection with the LTO so that every capture we can identify the plate number through the LTO.)
Or another method is that the captured violation will be sent to the LTO who will issue an alarm that will appear if the vehicle has its renewal of registration.
He said having NCAP through smart cameras can help their office as they cannot cover all streets with their current number of traffic enforcers.
“Dili nato mabutangan enforcer ang tanan area so dapat naa tay ing-ana (gadgets) kay ang disiplina, ang driver na ang mudisiplina sa iyang sarili na dili cya madakpan,” Abude said.
(We cannot deploy enforcers to all areas so we should have these gadgets because it will instill discipline. The driver will discipline his own self so he wouldn’t be caught.)
In Metro Manila, the No Contact Apprehension Policy was implemented after the Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) issued by the Supreme Court in 2022 was lifted on May 20.
On the first day of the implementation of NCAP after the lifting of the TRO, the Metro Manila Development Authority recorded a notable decrease in traffic violations. PIA DAVAO