The MMDA will be looking for lane splitting violators through NCAP
Yesterday, we reached out directly to MMDA’s No Physical Contact Policy Program department by calling their office at (02) 8898-4200 Local: 7011 (directory here).
We reached out to clarify a couple of things, on behalf of our readers, related to the MMDA’s No Contact Apprehension Policy (NCAP). Among the things that we sought clarification on were:
- Lane filtering and lane splitting
- NCAP effect on driver’s license (demerits)
- Big bikes and MC Lane policy
So, according to MMDA, lane filtering and splitting are “currently not being viewed as violations under the [NCAP] program,” and that a traffic violation caught via NCAP does not constitute a demerit on a driver’s license (article here).
Additionally, and to be fair with everyone, big bikes—400cc and above motorcycles—are NOT exempted from the Motorcycle Lane policy. Again, these were told by the MMDA’s department that handles NCAP yesterday.
Today, the MMDA has retracted its statement, and says that 1) lane splitting is prohibited, and 2) big bikes are exempted from the MC Lane policy.
This means that motorcycle riders will be penalized if caught lane splitting along the 22 major roads in Metro Manila under NCAP.
‘Lane splitting’ is defined in LTO’s Administrative Order No. AHS-2008-015 as “using or sharing a lane already occupied by one vehicle by another vehicle such as motorcycle or scooter in a road or highway.”
Lane filtering, on the other hand, was not mentioned by the MMDA and therefore is still allowed.
‘Lane filtering’, by definition, is a maneuver where a motorcyclist rides between lanes of stopped or very slow-moving traffic in the same direction, typically to advance to the front of a traffic queue at an intersection or in heavy congestion.
As for big bike riders, they may use all the lanes along Commonwealth Avenue designated for private vehicles and should not be penalized under NCAP. The penalty for MC Lane violation is PHP 500, while PUV drivers driving on the exclusive lane will be meted out with a PHP 1,200 fine.
‘Double standards’
Motorcycle rights groups, particularly MRO, have shared their frustration on social media and called the big bike MC Lane exemption a ‘double standard’ on the part of the MMDA. They also claimed that it’s ‘anti-poor.’
“And this is what we call double standards,” said MRO chairman Jobert Bolanos. “The separation itself is stupid, promotes elitism, it is anti-poor, creates separation within the classes, and is against the equal protection from the law clause of the Constitution.”
MRO is set to stage a protest motorcade against the MMDA's MC Lane policy this Sunday, June 8.
