MANILA — The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority is "hopeful" that the National Capital Region could implement a single ticketing system for traffic violations in the first quarter of 2023, an official said on Tuesday.

The system will standardize the fines for 20 common violations, including disregarding traffic signs, beating the red light, and counterflow, authorities earlier said.

A traffic code that promotes the single ticketing system has been approved by a technical working group of the Metro Manila Council and is now up for the approval of the region's mayors, said MMDA Traffic Discipline Office Director for Enforcement Atty. Victor Nuñez.

“We are very hopeful that within the first quarter of this year, the Metro Manila traffic code, with the single ticketing, which also aims to interconnect the 17 LGUs of Metro Manila to LTO, [will be implemented],” he said in a House Committee on Transportation meeting.

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The new ticketing system will allow violators to settle fines through digital payment channels, the Metro Manila Council (MMC) earlier said.

Metro Manila will integrate its system with the Land Transportation Office (LTO), allowing authorities to see how many violations a motorist has committed, which would serve as basis for "demerit points", said San Juan Mayor Francis Zamora, who heads the MMC.

Authorities could confiscate the license of a motorist with 10 demerit points, the mayor earlier said.

The Department of Interior and Local Government reiterated that only the LTO and its deputized agents have the authority to confiscate driver’s licenses. It noted that the DILG chief previously issued a memo to local government units on the matter.

“The Secretary issued a memorandum addressed to all local government units that local government units, their traffic officers don’t have authority to confiscate driver’s license. We also issued our legal opinion, that as provided under the LTO code it is only the LTO and their deputized agents which can confiscate driver’s license,” DILG lawyer Ralph Ifurung said.

“Local government units…can still issue traffic citation tickets, but as to the confiscation of the drivers license, it’s only the LTO which has the authority to do so,” he added.