ILOILO City – The “no inspection, no registration” policy or motor vehicle inspection system (MVIS) in Region 6 won’t be imposed rigidly, according to the Land Transportation Office (LTO).
“We will return to the usual arrangement nga optional ang pagpa-inspect sa PMVICs (private motor vehicle inspection centers) naton,” said Atty. Allan Sacramento, LTO-6 operations division acting chief, in an interview with Panay News.
Department of Transportation (DOTr) secretary Arturo Tugade recently ordered the temporary holding of MVIS’ implementation to “give time to the LTO” to resolve the issue on the so-called geographic areas of responsibility (GAOR).
Tugade directed LTO “to conduct an immediate and exhaustive review of the policy, given the various issues surrounding the implementation of GAOR for the registration of light vehicles and motorcycles.”
“Secretary Tugade recognizes the need for a smoother and more efficient manner of implementation of the GAOR policy while also taking into consideration the COVID-19 pandemic, which hampers the required vehicle registration process,” the DOTr said in a statement.
“In listening to the inputs of stakeholders in the PMVIC program, Secretary Tugade calls for sobriety and unity to address the issues regarding this important road transport policy of enhancing vehicle road worthiness inspection,” the agency said.
Sacramento said the directive took effect on Aug. 24.
Motorists can now choose between two methods for inspection: through PMVICs, or through the Private Emission Testing Centers (PETC) and visual check by LTO personnel.
In Region 6, the new inspection scheme was only initially enforced in the cities of Roxas and Bacolod, as their PMVICs are the only ones operational.
The accredited PMVICs are the Cimatech Enterprises, Inc. in Bacolod City and Panay Quality Motors Services, Inc. in Roxas City (Capiz).
Under DOTr’s MVIS, motor vehicles must hurdle the inspection on not less than 60 parts of the vehicle, including the engine, hand break, speedometer, clutch, signal light, and stop light, among others.
Vehicles that fail to pass the inspection must address the deficiencies found and have to be re-inspected.
There are the inspection fees to pay:
* for light vehicles – P600 plus P70 value added tax (VAT)
* for public utility jeepneys (PUJs) – P300 plus P30 VAT
* for motorcycles and tricycles – P500 plus P60 VAT
To note, the implementation of the policy in Region 6 began on Aug. 9.
Sacramento noted that several motor vehicle owners from the cities of Roxas and Bacolod had their vehicles inspected at the PMVICs.
Western Visayas’ implementation came following DOTr’s Memorandum Circular No. MC-SC-2021-02 dated July 5 that set the guidelines for the LTO to only accept motor vehicle inspection reports from authorized private inspection centers in designated areas prior to registration.
GROUPS OK SUSPENSION
Transport group Iloilo City Loop Alliance of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association (ICLAJODA) welcomed the development.
“Indi kita preparado sina,” Raymundo “Boyet” Parcon, president of ICLAJODA, told Panay News.
According to Parcon, ICLAJODA recently met with Iloilo City’s councilor Romel Duron, committee chairman on transportation and public utility and good governance, to voice their opposition to the implementation of the new vehicle inspection scheme.
In fact, ICLAJODA even prepared a position paper – to be sent to the Office of the President – requesting for the postponement of the MVIS implementation until next year, or until they can start modernizing their units./PN
