MANILA — Motor vehicles and motorcycles should be first strictly inspected for safety and road worthiness before their registrations can be renewed with the Land Transportation Office (LTO).

Department of Transportation (DOTr) Undersecretary for Administrative Service Artemio U. Tuazon Jr. stressed that the thorough inspection of motor vehicles prior to LTO registration or renewal of registration, is in line with the current thrust of the DOTr to make sure that motor vehicles on the country’s roads remain roadworthy.

“An unsafe vehicle on the road can kill and be as deadly as a vehicle driven by a drunk driver. A poorly maintained vehicle can experience mechanical failures that may end in a terrible road crash,” said Usec. Tuazon, who is also the chairperson of the DOTr’s Private Motor Vehicle Inspection Center Steering Commitee.

Data from the MMDA-TEC- Road Safety Unit MMARAS Annual Report 2019 show a total of 121,771 road crashes in Metro Manila for that year, with an average of 334 cases per day. Of this figure, 372 ended in deaths while 20,466 victims suffered from non-fatal injuries and 100,933 resulted to damage to property.

“We can prevent the unnecessary loss of lives and property on our roads just by making sure that vehicles are safe and roadworthy. A road crash can happen anytime. May pandemya man o wala, maaring mangyari ang isang road crash kung hundi tayo magiging maingat,” added Tuazon.

Motorists and vehicle owners are given the option to have their motor vehicles inspected either by an authorized private motor vehicle inspection center (PMVIC) or have it inspected by the LTO.

Tuazon said that motorists need not worry about the cost of having thier vehicles inspected for roadworthiness by a PMVIC as the cost of the inspection is now the same as the cost of an emission test given by a private emission testing center (PETC).

Tuazon however said that aside from the emission testing as mandated under the Philippine Clean Air Act, vehicles will be also be inspected for roadworthiness at a PMVIC at no extra charge. This is because the emission test is included in the battery of safety and roadworthiness checks to be done by the PMVIC on a motor vehicle.

Tuazon urges motorists to have their vehicles inspected by PMVICs so as not to crowd LTO branches. Incidents of graft in the registration process will also be prevented as the tests to be done at a PMVIC is recorded on video and all of the tests results are sent real-time to the main database of the LTO.

This, said Tuazon, will prevent incidents of tampered inspection results and “non-appearance” registrants as vehicles will really be tested for roadworthiness.

“Ano ba ang pasakit sa taong bayan? Presyo? We addressed it already. Parehas na ang presyo ng PETC and PMVIC. Hindi ba mas pasakit sa bayan kung hindi roadworthy ang mga sasakyang tumatakbo sa kalsada?” asked Tuazon.

“Nagsisimula na tayo sa new normal. If this will not be done now, kelan pa?” he added.

Meanwhile, Tuazon stressed that based on the opinion of the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), there is no more question on the legality of motor vehicle inspections for safety and roadworthiness as part of the registration process with the LTO.

Tuazon said that based on the OSG’s opinion, the DOTr and the LTO have authority to ensure the roadworthiness of motor vehicles under the Administrative Code of 1987, LTO charters, and other laws.

The DOTr and the LTO, according to the OSG can also legally authorize PMVICs to conduct inspection of motor vehicles pursuant to valid administrative issuances.