MAPSA Incident - Colored Plate Cover Fine = Php2500.00

[jim]

Last week thursday I was passing by Mantrade on my way to my office in Pioneer Mandaluyong (my daily route). I was signalled by a MAPSA officer to stop and I pulled over. He informed me that my plate covers are illegal. I explained to him that it's been over a year that I've been using the plate covers as protection for my plates and that they're not hindering the visual display of my plates. I also told him to look at the plates if they are not readable and he replied yes they are readable but still they are illegal. He insisted that he remove the plate covers. So he removed them then took the plate covers into his motorcycle. It took him 15 minutes to issue me a ticket but I was in a hurry so I made no move to contest the ticket. I also did not want to bribe the officer.

This morning I went to Makati City Hall to redeem my license and to get my plate covers. WTF the cashier informed me to pay 2500!!! I was shocked!!! I tried to talk to her but she told me to go to the complaints office. So I went. The lady inside the office was nice to explain my violation. It's under the MAKATI TRAFFIC ORDINANCE Article 18 section 137 which was newly amended (not publicly announced) to include colored plate covers as illegal equal to tinted plate covers and using illegal commemorative plates.

I filled-up the complaint form and a hearing is scheduled on Oct. 17 at 2 PM. I also stated in the complaint that my car was just registered the week before and LTO checked my plate covers and they said that it was just fine. Here is the pic of my plate with the plate cover. Mas green pa yung plate numbers ko kesa sa mismong plate covers.

http://smbmountaineers.com/pics/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pos=0


Any of you have a take on this??? Maybe some of you guys know someone who experienced this and may like to share so that I will know what to do during the hearing. BTW our lawyer is also looking at this case kc para sa kanya kung may violation man daw ako Php2500.00 is way too much a fine. Ni hindi nga raw traffic violation yung case ko.

Thanks!

[shadow]

dude, bawal talaga yan considered tinted pa rin yan kahit na lite lang.....I just don't know kung pati yun clear eh kasama sa bawal....and one more thing republic of binay yan, kung yun window time ng coding eh hinde nila sinusunod eh, walang magawa MMDA...

[marco624]

Based on the picture, malinaw naman at kitang kita ang plate number.Masyadong OA lang ang mga MAPSA nayan, anyways, ingat na lang ang mga tsikoteers na me mga cover ang plate numbers, me sariling mundo ang makati e....Pero ung mga dark plate covers, yun ang dapat hulihin.

[1D4LV]

ganyan talaga dito sa makati. minsan nga, may nakikita pa akong na fla flag down na mga oto na "clear" ang cover plates eh.

[simplicity]

matagal nang batas ito eh. people just ignore them. readable man o hindi,
basta tinted - BAWAL.
if you still want to cover them plates, use the clear ones. i do.
please learn from your mistake(s).

[uvax]

Agree with shadow.

*marco624
ang problema kasi diyan magiging judgement call pa ng enforcer kung ano ang readable o hindi kaya any hint of tint eh hinuhuli.

[kapitan88]

yep, its really illegal. search mo dito yung post ng lto.gov.ph yung mga penalties, there is specific penalty for putting unnecessary stuffs on the plates. Oh and btw, fyi, we dont own the plates, its the states property.

[Syuryuken]

base sa pic tinted ang plate cover mo bawal talaga kahit nga yung clear ([SIZE=1]experience ng isang tsikoteer dito[/SIZE]) hinuli din nila. Tinanggal ko na plate cover para walang rason na parahin pa pag lumuluwas ako.

[JagXtrm]

araw-araw pumapasok ako sa makati... di naman ako hinuli sa clear plate covers ko.

btw, i've been using clear plate covers since year 2000 ... i just keep in mind to periodically clean my plates & plate covers every 3 months.

[Autobeat]

It may be readable in that pic. But side by side with another car with uncovered plates, at a certain distance away at night, your plate may already be unreadable, while the uncovered one can still be acceptably seen.

Anyway you may look at it, may kaunting restriction sa view ang shaded plate covers vs. sa wala.

Anyway, good luck in your case. We'll be awaiting developments you may share in this thread.