SP urges recall of LTO memo re PVMIC in Dagupan
P1,800 INSPECTION FEE
NOTING the protests and indignation manifested by private vehicle owners against the Private Motor Vehicles Inspection System instituted by the Land Transportation Office (LTO) before a vehicle can be registered, the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) passed twin resolutions seeking to suspend if not revoke, the LTO Memorandum Circular 2018-2158.
Resolution No. 6024, addressed to President Rodrigo Duterte and Department of Transportation (DOTr) Sec. Arthur Tugade is seeking the repeal the MC 2018-2158, while Resolution No. 6025, urges Dagupan City Mayor Marc Brian Lim to re-evaluate the issuance of the mayor’s permit to the Private Motor Vehicle Inspection Center (PMVIC) and possibly cause its immediate withdrawal. Both are authored by Councilor Joey Tamayo.
Councilor Karlos Reyna, chairman of the committee on transportation, branded the MC 2018-2158 as “anti-poor” while Councilor Tamayo said the operations of the Bily Transport Inc, must be suspended until the legality of the memorandum, particularly the lack of transparency, since no public consultation was made prior to the formulation of PMVIC guidelines.
The center of the controversy are the fees mandated for the new policy:
- Private vehicle owners must pay P1,800 initially, and if the vehicle fails to pass the standard, owner is given 72 hours to correct deficiencies and pay another P900 for 2nd
- If the owner fails 2nd inspection, owner must pay another P1,800 for another round of inspection.
- Registration fee, apart from inspection fee, is P4,500.
- Motorcycle and tricycle owners must pay P600 for 1st inspection and another P300 for re-inspection if needed.
The SP invited Land Transportation Office (LTO) Dagupan chief Marlyn Dumo, Public Order and Safety Office (POSO) officers and other concerned agencies to shed light on issues and operations of PMVIC.
Both Reyna and Tamayo said the high cost of the required stages of inspection of motor registration permit from the LTO is an additional burden to motor vehicle owners amid the prevailing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Reyna argued that the PMVICs violate health protocols, as the center only services maximum of 300 vehicles daily, creating a situation that will violate the distancing protocol set by the IATF.
Tamayo questioned the legality of the Memorandum Circular issued by the LTO and DOTr, since the PMVIC system was implemented without the amendment of Republic Act 8749 or the Philippine Clean Air Act. He also noted the fees being collected for the inspection is only set through an LTO Memorandum Circular.
Tamayo said only an LTO administrative order and not a law passed by congress instituted the new private motor vehicle inspection system and the setting up of a center for vehicle inspection.
Dumo said district offices are only implementing the memorandum circular but could not cite any specific law passed by Congress that authorized PMVIC establishment and authorization to collect fees for inspecting vehicles.
Meanwhile, Atty. Crisanto Estrada, the city’s Civil Registry Officer, said the business permit issued to BILY Transport Inc., cannot be withdrawn because it has complied fully with the city’s requirements and has not violated any ordinance.
Dumo conceded that the implementation can still be problematic because Bily is the only PMVIC in Central Pangasinan. There are 7 PMVICs planned in Pangasinan. For this reason, the LTO will not penalize late registrations till after February to enable all PMVIC’s to be fully operational.
Mayor Lim earlier denied a permit to vehicle owners who planned to stage a noise barrage and rally against Bily Transport Inc., owner of the new Private Motor Vehicle Inspection last January 29.
The inspection requires 64 stages, from details of the physical appearance to emission, performance of engines, brakes, chassis, suspension, to state of early warning devices, etc.
Dumo said the while the costs may be deemed high, it is necessary to avoid accidents.
As of January, this year, Dumo said only 50-percent of motor vehicle owners in the Dagupan office have their vehicles registered.
In Lingayen, the Sanggunian Panlalawigan approved a motion of SP Member and Minority Floor Leader Von Mark Mendoza to invite officials of the LTO regional office in its Question Hour on February 11 to explain the new Private Motor Vehicle Inspection System prior to
enacting a resolution asking the LTO to suspend the same.
Mendoza said that vehicle owners in his district have complained that they are being made to have their vehicles inspected in Dagupan City, being the only PVMIC in Pangasinan. (Leonardo Micua/Ahikam Passion/Jerick Pasiliao)
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