Latest news with #Artes
GMA Network
28-05-2025
- Automotive
- GMA Network
MMDA: Violations under NCAP 'manually' reviewed
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said Wednesday that violations caught under the No Contact Apprehension Policy (NCAP) will be manually reviewed by its personnel before issuing tickets. MMDA chairperson Romando Artes told Super Radyo dzBB in an interview that their personnel, usually deaf-mutes, are reviewing the violations caught by artificial intelligence (AI). 'Hindi po lahat ng cameras naming may AI, sa EDSA lamang po. Ganunpaman, yung mga may huli ng AI may automatic review po tayo. Mano-mano pong tinitignan yan,' Artes said. (Not all of our cameras have AI, only on EDSA. However, those that are caught by AI have automatic reviews. We check them manually.) 'Yung mga na-capture supposedly na violations ay tinitignan po ng ating mga tauhan. Kalimitan po dyan mga deaf-mutes na atin pong in-employ na sila po yung tumitingin kung tama yung pagkaka-capture,' he added. (Those that are captured for supposed violations are checked by our staff. Usually, there are deaf-mutes that we employ who are the ones who check if the apprehension is correct.) For example, Artes said that AI once flagged an ambulance that used the EDSA busway. Since ambulances are allowed to use the special lane for public utility buses, reviewers invalidated the initially reported violation. Another example, Artes said, is that if a vehicle switched lanes on a road with yellow marking because a car broke down in front of it, reviewers will also invalidate the violation. Artes pointed out that the MMDA will be lenient with those kinds of violations, adding that the NCAP implementation is intended for the discipline of motorists and not for income generation of the agency. A total of 1,112 traffic violations were caught on the first day of the resumption of the NCAP on Monday, the MMDA said. The total number of traffic violations on Monday is lower compared to the over 3,000 recorded on the same date last year when NCAP was still suspended due to a temporary restraining order (TRO). NCAP is a policy that uses closed-circuit television, digital cameras and/or other gadgets or technology to capture videos and images to apprehend vehicles violating traffic laws, instead of traffic enforcers on the ground. The implementation of NCAP resumed after the Supreme Court (SC) partially lifted the TRO against the policy, allowing only the MMDA to implement the program. In August 2022, the SC issued the TRO against NCAP being implemented by some local government units in Metro Manila. The order came after transport groups Kapit, Pasang Masda, Altodap, and the Alliance of Concerned Transport Organizations filed a petition against local ordinances related to the NCAP in five cities including Manila, Quezon City, Valenzuela, Muntinlupa, and Parañaque. One of the contested aspects of the NCAP involves the payment of fines in which the registered owners, not the drivers, of public and private vehicles are the ones who are asked to pay for the penalties. Transport groups also described the policy as unconstitutional. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
27-05-2025
- Automotive
- GMA Network
MMDA clarifies: Odd-even scheme to replace number coding on EDSA
The odd-even scheme will replace the number coding scheme on EDSA when its rebuilding starts in June, the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) explained on Tuesday. MMDA Chairman Romando Artes issued the clarification after announcing Monday that beginning June 16, an odd-even scheme would be implemented exclusively on EDSA for a brief dry run. This means vehicles with license plates ending in odd numbers (1, 3, 5, 7, and 9) would not be allowed on the national thoroughfare on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, while vehicles with even-number license plates (ending in 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8) would be banned on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. EDSA and several other major roads in the National Capital Region currently use the Expanded Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program (UVVRP) or the number coding scheme, which bars vehicles from using the roads on one day depending on the last number on their license plates, except during window hours in most cities. Netizens complained that if the odd-even scheme is combined with the number coding program, many motorists would not be able to use EDSA four days out of the week. Artes said this would not be the case. ''Yung isang beses na lang nila magagamit 'yung sasakyan nila sa EDSA? Hindi po ganun. Hindi siya on top, it will replace. So sa EDSA, ang magru-rule na d'yan, 'yung odd-even. On other roads, 'yung regular na number coding,' Artes told GMA Integrated News. (The idea that they would only be able to use their vehicle on one day on EDSA? It won't be like that. It won't be on top of the number coding, it will replace it. So on EDSA, the odd-even scheme will prevail. On other roads, the regular number coding is still in place.) Artes also said that the MMDA has extended the program's dry run to one month to sync with the Department of Transportation's proposal to waive toll fees on certain segments of the Skyway in July when the rebuilding would be in full swing. He added that this would also allow them to collect data to study to determine whether window hours on EDSA would be feasible. 'Pag nakita po natin na pag 10 p.m. na lumuluwag na, baka pwede tayong mag-window ng 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.,' he said. (If we see that traffic starts lightening at 10 p.m., we might implement window hours of 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.) Exempted from the odd even scheme are hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, and transport network service vehicles (TNVS)—as well as motorcycles, whether private or with ride-hailing companies. MMDA has issued rerouting plans when EDSA begins rebuilding @gmanews @24OrasGMA — Joseph Morong ???????? (@Joseph_Morong) May 27, 2025 The MMDA has also released traffic rerouting schemes. The EDSA rebuilding will start on June 13 and is expected to be finished in 2027. But Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan said they would endeavor to finish the EDSA bus lane by the end of the year given that it caters to thousands of commuters daily. — BM, GMA Integrated News
The Star
27-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Star
Odd-even scheme back as rebuild of Metro Manila's busiest highway starts
MANILA: The government will implement drastic measures to minimise the public inconvenience to be brought by the two-year 'Edsa Rebuild' project starting next month, including the revival of the odd-even scheme of the 1990s to significantly reduce the number of vehicles on Metro Manila's busiest highway, and a toll holiday in portions of the Skyway Stage 3 that will be used as an alternate route. In a press briefing on Monday (May 26), Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chair Don Artes noted that implementing the odd-even scheme 24 hours a day along Edsa was necessary to avoid a 'carmageddon' not only along the major thoroughfare but also on side streets designated as alternate routes once the rehabilitation works of Edsa start. Under the odd-even scheme, vehicles with license plates ending in odd numbers (1, 3, 5, 7, 9) are prohibited to use Edsa on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Vehicles with plates ending in even numbers (2, 4, 6, 8, 0) are not allowed to use Edsa on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The scheme will not be enforced on Sundays. A dry run of the policy will first be implemented for a week starting June 16, where violators will be apprehended and issued violation tickets, but will not be fined or penalised. According to Artes, the MMDA will soon publish the alternate routes that motorists can take while the Edsa repair works are in progress and clearing operations will be conducted regularly in these routes to remove any obstructions that may further cause traffic. In order to reduce more vehicles on Edsa, Artes said provincial buses, trucks and other big vehicles will be temporarily banned from entering Edsa from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Bike lane separators will also be removed along Edsa, while an exclusive motorcycle lane will be opened. Secretary Vince Dizon said the Department of Transportation (DOTr) would also deploy 100 additional bus units along the Edsa Busway to encourage the public to commute instead of using private vehicles. Dizon assured the public that the Edsa Busway will remain operational even while the Edsa rehabilitation is in full swing. Additional trains and four-car train sets will likewise be running on the tracks of Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT 3) to increase the capacity of the train system and X-ray scanners in all stations of the MRT 3 will also be removed to decongest queues. The rebuilding of Edsa is expected to last until 2027, with its preparatory works set to begin on the night of June 13, according to Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan. The odd-even scheme, first implemented in April 1996 on Edsa, will be enforced 24 hours a day only on the 23.8-kilometer highway, while the number coding scheme, or the Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program, with 'window hours' (except for roads in Makati City) will still be implemented on other roads in Metro Manila. 'With the enforcement of the odd-even scheme, we are expecting a 40-percent reduction of vehicles along Edsa,' Artes said. An average of 437,873 vehicles pass Edsa each day, exceeding its carrying capacity of 250,000, government records show. 'Without government interventions, we expect that the travel speed along Edsa will decrease by 20 per cent, and traffic will worsen especially during the peak hours in the morning and evening,' Artes warned. The MMDA, he said, may adjust the period of the odd-even scheme later on, and possibly include a window period from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. the next day. The waiving of the toll in some segments of Skyway Stage 3, which runs from Buendia in Makati City to Balintawak in Quezon City, may be implemented by July or August, but only in segments where the vehicles will be detoured, according to Dizon. Artes noted that when Skyway Stage 3 was toll-free from its opening on Dec. 29, 2020, to Feb. 1, 2021, the volume of vehicles on Edsa was reduced by as much as 14 percent. With both the free use of Skyway Stage 3 and the odd-even scheme, travel time on Edsa will improve during the two-year rehabilitation of the highway, Artes said. The DOTr and the Toll Regulatory Board said they were working closely together to identify viable measures that would mitigate the projected revenue loss of San Miguel Corp., operator of the Skyway due to the planned toll holiday. Roadworks will be done 24 hours a day to fast-track the project's completion and to minimise the further disruption in the Edsa traffic. The repair works will be done 'by segments, one lane at a time,' starting from the innermost lane. 'The concept of the Edsa Rebuild is that we will change the pavement… In other words, we will dig up the existing pavement on Edsa, and we will replace it with a new [one] that is more durable,' Bonoan said. 'We will adopt the latest technologies on concrete mix. On top of the concrete mix that we will make, we will put a running surface with thick asphalt so that traffic will be smoother,' he added. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
GMA Network
21-05-2025
- GMA Network
MMDA: NCAP resumes on Monday, May 26, 2025
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said Wednesday the implementation of the no contact apprehension policy (NCAP) will resume on May 26, 2025. MMDA chairperson Romando Artes made the statement a day after the Supreme Court partially lifted the temporary restraining order against NCAP. 'Wala naman pong pagbabago. Dati naman na po naming ini-implement 'yan. Na-TRO lang po,' Artes told GMA Integrated News' Unang Balita in an interview. (There are no changes. We have been implementing NCAP before. It was just paused by a TRO.) 'Basically, 'yung mga violations po instead na physically na i-apprehend ng ating enforcers, ay CCTV cameras na po ang huhuli. Then, ipapadala na lang po namin 'yung notice of violation sa registered address nila sa [Land Transportation Office],' he added. (Basically, instead of our enforcers physically apprehending the violators, CCTV cameras will catch them. Then, we will just send the notice of violation to their addresses registered with LTO.) According to Artes, the MMDA is installing a thousand more CCTV cameras. He reminded motorists that they can contest a violation under NCAP through the agency's Facebook page and website. The SC has partially lifted the TRO against the NCAP, allowing only the MMDA to implement the policy, High Court spokesperson Atty. Camille Ting said Tuesday. Ting said the SC En Banc granted the MMDA's urgent motion to lift the TRO against NCAP last week. She said this is effective immediately. 'If you remember, the TRO the court issued last August 2022, the TRO covers the MMDA resolution and the local city ordinances. So the TRO here is only lifted with respect to the MMDA but it still remains with respect to the LGU ordinances,' she said. 'It can only be implemented by the MMDA in major thoroughfares kasi 'yung MMDA resolution only refers to major thoroughfares, especially C5 and EDSA,' she added. This came after the MMDA filed an urgent motion to lift the TRO against NCAP last week. In August 2022, the SC issued the TRO against NCAP being implemented by some local government units in Metro Manila. The order came after transport groups Kapit, Pasang Masda, Altodap, and the Alliance of Concerned Transport Organizations filed a petition against local ordinances related to the NCAP in five cities (Manila, Quezon City, Valenzuela, Muntinlupa, and Parañaque) in Metro Manila. One of the contested aspects of the NCAP involves the payment of fines in which the registered owners, not the drivers, of public and private vehicles are the ones who are asked to pay for the penalties. Transport groups also described the policy as unconstitutional. Ting said the Court has yet to rule on the petition. 'If they decide with finality, then it's either the TRO is lifted all the way or it's completely not enforceable,' she said. —AOL, GMA Integrated News
African Manager
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- African Manager
Highest paid achieves best result in Artes in 2024?
As of late December 2024, French automaker Renault held fourth place in Tunisia's sales and vehicle registration rankings, with its local distributor, Artes (Mzabi Group), selling 3,175 units in the market. In a total market of 79,369 vehicles, dominated by Hyundai, where used car re-registrations accounted for 28% market share (up from just 23% in 2023), Artes captured only 8.44% market share across all vehicle types. Fortunately for transparency (as Artes is publicly listed, unlike many private firms), the distributor reported 2024 revenue of over 257.3 million dinars (MD), nearly doubling its 2023 figure (142.6 MD). Gross margin more than doubled (29.11 MD to 50.75 MD), while operating income surged from 19 MD to 38.6 MD. Well-paid managers. But how many CEOs? Despite rising financial costs (+50 MD, reaching 136 MD), a 12.5 MD corporate tax bill, and a 1.426 MD solidarity contribution, Artes still posted higher profits—boosted by 15.6 MD in financial investment income. Net profit climbed from 4.416 MD to 27.126 MD, closing 2024 at 40.416 MD, thanks to a robust gross margin exceeding 50.7 MD. Except that Artes' turnover (in TD) was highest in 2024. According to the TSE, where the dealership is one of only four listed on the stock exchange (and this could change following the purchase of a controlling stake in STA by the Kilani group, which is not known for being too keen on the stock exchange), Artes' turnover increased by 80.5% . This is compared with 1% for City Cars (with a net profit of 5 million dinars as at 30 June 24, as the company has still not published any more), 37.3 for STA (the company more than quadrupled its net profit from 1.3 million dinars to 5.8 million dinars), while Ennakl's revenues even fell by 7.8% in 2024 (although its net profit for the 2024 financial year was still up by 10 million dinars). With more brands and better pay, Ennakl is no better But perhaps it is the level of remuneration of the management caste that is responsible for the company's good results! TD 1.204 million for the entire management of Artes, including 10 Board members and an unspecified number of CEOs. 0.630 million dinars for STA (with one of the lowest paid CEOs), 2.243 million dinars for the 6 directors of Ennakl. With an annual salary of more than 460,000 dinars (more than 38,000 dinars gross per month!), the CEO of this car dealership is by far the best paid of the four, according to the little information we have. Ennakl's board of directors is also the highest paid. In 2024, the automotive division of the Amen Bank group was no better paid than Artes, the car dealership subsidiary of the Mzabi group. Remember that this ranking does not take into account the remuneration of unlisted dealerships. We do not have figures for all dealers, not all of whom are in favor of financial transparency.
