Last week, the Commission on Audit’s (COA) annual report on the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) revealed that in 2019, the traffic management agency failed to register over 75% of its vehicles, including motorbikes and trucks, with the Land Transportation Office (LTO). The MMDA says it isn’t sitting on its hands regarding this issue.
In a statement released over the weekend, MMDA chairman Danny Lim provided an explanation for the COA findings, and assured the public that the agency is already working on addressing them.
“As regards the recent findings of the COA on the unregistered vehicles of MMDA which the commission flagged, we would like to assure the public that we are handling this matter seriously and taking serious measures to immediately address the issue,” Lim said.
Lim also explained that the unregistered vehicles flagged by COA include unused vehicles awaiting repair or disposal. He added that the MMDA is already fast-tracking the procurement of parts to ready these vehicles for LTO registration.
“During the past three years, we have gradually purchased over 300 million worth of new vehicles and heavy equipment for MMDA to replace the many unserviceable vehicles the Agency has been using from the previous administrations,” Lim explained.
“As stated in the COA observation, disposition of old and worn-out vehicles and acquisition of new ones are continuously being done by the Agency.”
The steps that the MMDA is taking to address the issue include ensuring all official vehicles are registered before LTO fines kick in, and requesting for funding to repair vehicles or replace them if needed.
“MMDA is an agency mandated to strictly implement traffic rules and regulations, and we are ensuring that the Agency is likewise able to abide by all these laws. We will not let this pass under our watch,” Lim stressed.
So, do you think the MMDA will be able to register all of its official vehicles in time? Let us know in the comments.
