MMDA Building, EDSA corner Orense St.

, Guadalupe, Makati City

Trunk Line : 882-4151 to 77
MMDA Hotline: 136 | MMDA Duty Officer: 0917-5618711

Protocol for Traffic Officers when apprehending traffic violators

1. Flag down the vehicle and lead it to the roadside where it will not obstruct the flow of traffic.

2. Courteously inform the driver of his violation.

3. Request for the Drivers license, vehicle registration and other pertinent documents.

4. Verify records of driver from Central Database.

5. Inform the driver of his previous records should there be any.

6. Accomplish TVR without unnecessary delay / argument.

7. Issue the second copy to the driver / motorist and inform him / her where and when to pay
his / her fine.

APPREHENSION DIALOGUE

 Greet the driver with respect and identify yourself

 Inform the driver of his violation

 State your authority

 Respectfully ask for his driver's license

 Inform the driver not to alight from the vehicle

 Should there be any complaint. State the availability of the TAB for lodging a complaint within
(5) days or the Roadside Traffic Arbitration during apprehension (on site).

Sample apprehension dialogue:

Good Morning ! Sir/Madam. I am Traffic Officer Juan Dela Cruz, You violated a traffic rule, you
obstructed the flow of traffic. Under MMDA law (R.A 7924) I am authorized to confiscate your license
should there be a need to do so. May I have your driver's license please. You are also requested
Sir/Madam, not to alight from your vehicle.
 MMDA Building, EDSA corner Orense St., Guadalupe, Makati City
Trunk Line : 882-4151 to 77
MMDA Hotline: 136 | MMDA Duty Officer: 0917-5618711

10 Things That Drivers Should Know

1. MMDA Enforcers are not allowed to group together while apprehending a motorist. They are
not even allowed to stand together in groups of two (2) or more, except in actual times of
special operations (e.g. apprehending groups of smoke-belching/colorum buses).

2. Swerving is not a traffic violation. It is defined as a movement wherein vehicles shift from a lane
to another. However, it can constitute the offense of reckless driving if it is done without
precautions (e.g. swerving in an abrupt and careless manner, swerving without the use of
signals).

3. A driver's license cannot be confiscated by a Traffic Enforcer during traffic apprehensions except
on the following situations:

1. The driver was involved in a traffic accident

2. The driver has accumulated three (3) or more unsettled violations

3. The driver has been apprehended for the following violations:

o Allowing another person to use driver's license

o Broken sealing wire

o Broken taximeter seal

o Colorum operation (cargo/passenger vehicle)

o Driving against traffic

o Fake driver's license

o Fake/altered taximeter seal

o Fake/altered sealing wire

o Fast/defective/non-operational/tampered taxi meter

o Flagged up meter

o Illegal or unauthorized counter-flow

o Illegal transfer of plates/tags/stickers

 MMDA Building, EDSA corner Orense St., Guadalupe, Makati City
Trunk Line : 882-4151 to 77
MMDA Hotline: 136 | MMDA Duty Officer: 0917-5618711

o Joined/reconnected sealing wire

o No driver's ID

o Ignoring Organized Bus Route (OBR) interval timers (for 2nd offense)

o Skipping or bypassing designated OBR terminals or loading bays (for 2nd

offense)

o Operating on contractual basis

o Out of line operation

o Overcharging (with or without conductor) (for the 2nd offense)

o Refusal to convey passengers to destination/trip-cutting (Taxis and Public

Utility Vehicles)

o Refusal to render service to public (Taxis and Public Utility Vehicles)

o Tampered sealing wire

o Tampered taximeter seal

o Tampering of OR/CR/CPC & other documents (spurious documents)

o Undue preference/unjust discrimination

o Using motor vehicle in commission of crime

The above-mentioned administrative violations also require a minimum of 2 hours seminar (for
the drivers) at the Traffic Academy.

However, any driver who has committed three (3) or more unpaid violations, whether
administrative or moving, shall also be subject to attending seminars, whose length shall be
based on the results of the diagnostic exam (exam that will determine the contents of the
seminar progress), which will be administered by the Agency.

*Note: If the license is to be confiscated, the Traffic Enforcer should inform the driver of the
reason/s for the confiscation and the ticket validity.

If the driver refuses to surrender his driver's license, his plate may be detached pursuant to
Section 74 & 75, MC 89-105.
 MMDA Building, EDSA corner Orense St., Guadalupe, Makati City
Trunk Line : 882-4151 to 77
MMDA Hotline: 136 | MMDA Duty Officer: 0917-5618711

4. Private Vehicles are not allowed to use the yellow lane except when they are about to turn -
provided that they start shifting lanes upon seeing the transition lane (broken white lines
painted diagonally), that you can see around 50 meters away from an intersection. However,
selective apprehension of private vehicles using the yellow lane is highly prohibited.
The yellow lanes (1st and 2nd lanes in EDSA) are only for City Buses. City Buses are not allowed
to go beyond the yellow lanes. If they do so, they will be apprehended for violating the yellow
lane policy.
Provincial buses are also not allowed to use the yellow lane. Instead, they are encouraged to use
the third lane.

5. Each Traffic Enforcer has his/her own written mission order issued by the MMDA Central Admin.
Apprehended drivers are free to ask for the apprehending officer's mission order, which
includes his area of responsibility, time of duty, official function. It also indicates whether or not
the enforcer is authorized to issue tickets.

6. Traffic Enforcers should issue TVR in complete uniform, with visible nameplates. Traffic
Enforcers are instructed to accomplish the TVR (Traffic Violation Receipt) without any delay or
argument on the road, so as to avoid traffic congestion.

7. The Apprehending Enforcer is allowed to issue another TVR for Towing Fee. If the owner of the
impounded vehicle fails to release his vehicle after payment of fine in the stipulated date, the
impounding officer shall issue a separate TVR indicating no. of days it has remained at the
impounding area.

8. Before apprehending, the Traffic Enforcer should flag down the vehicle and lead it to the
roadside where it will not obstruct the flow of traffic. Traffic Enforcers should courteously
inform the driver of his violation.

9. Traffic Enforcers are not allowed to ask drivers to alight from their vehicles while the
apprehension is taking place. Most importantly, Traffic Enforcers are not allowed to ask or
receive bribe money.

10. During traffic apprehensions, the following can be considered as a valid driver's license:

 ID Plastic Card

 DLR / Temporary Driver's License

 TOP (Temporary Operator's Permit)

 International Driver's License

 MMDA Building, EDSA corner Orense St., Guadalupe, Makati City
Trunk Line : 882-4151 to 77
MMDA Hotline: 136 | MMDA Duty Officer: 0917-5618711

 Foreign License

The Traffic Enforcer should exercise extra diligence in verifying the veracity of the data or documents
presented.

If you encounter any Traffic Enforcer violating any of these, get the name of the Traffic Enforcer
indicated on his/her name plate, and submit a letter of complaint addressed to the Traffic Adjudication
Board (TAB), MMDA Bldg. EDSA cor. Orense St. Guadalupe Nuevo, Makati City, within 5 days after the
apprehension.

In case you are involved in an argument with a Traffic Enforcer, call the MMDA Hotline 136, or the
Metrobase at 0917-561-8711. Ask the Metrobase to send inspectors to go to the place where the
argument is taking place for proper investigation.

You may also e-mail complaints against erring Traffic Enforcers to the MMDA thru email@mmda.gov.ph.
Include full details of the incident (attach photos or videos if possible), so that they will be able to act
promptly on the matter.