Did LTO snub City Hall consultative meeting?

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

 

The chair of the Committee on Transportation and Public Utilities of the Iloilo City Council will visit the Land Transportation Office (LTO-6) regional office today to find out why the agency failed to send a representative to a consultative meeting on the Motor Vehicle Inspection System (MVIS) last Friday.

Duron said the consultative meeting pushed through but with no LTO official present despite their invitation and the agency’s confirmation to attend.

Duron told Aksyon Radyo-Iloilo that LTO-6 Regional Director Lennard Eric Tabaldo issued an order Thursday afternoon designating Atty. Allan Sacramento to attend but the latter did not show up.

Duron said he is wondering why Sacramento failed to attend and even sent text messages to the latter’s phone but there was no reply.

Duron said LTO has a key role in the meeting as it was meant to settle some issues raised by the transport sector against the motor vehicle inspection system which is now a requirement for the renewal of vehicle registrations, both public and private.

Public transport leaders said the policy could lead to a transport paralysis as almost all public utility vehicles are bound to fail the test which examines more than 60 points or parts of a vehicle.

In a privilege speech last week, Duron said that while the intention of the DOTr and the LTO—reducing heavy traffic and road accidents—was “good,” the agency ultimately “lacked preparation”.

“The ultimate objective – which is road safety – is good. Maayo ini. If we can reduce the number of cars breaking down on the road, we can reduce significantly the main causes of traffic and accidents. However, as I have said, daw kulang pa kag indi preparado ang LTO,” Duron said.

But the LTO said they cannot wait for tragedy to strike before implementing the policy which was signed into law two years ago.

“We cannot wait for disasters to happen. It’s about time. Supposedly, last year pa ni tani. Sin-o di gusto nga madrive salakyan nga may problema sa brake? This is for the safety of everyone,” Director Tabaldo said in a press conference on February 3, 2021.

LTO MC 2018-2158, which was issued on November 28, 2018, provides the guidelines and processes of PMVICs.

Engr. Arturo Apolinar, Director I of LTO-6, explained that vehicles subjected to the PMVIC policy will undergo a three-level test to ensure safety and roadworthiness of their vehicles.

“It’s all for the safety. Compared to the regular na emission test, this time with the PMVIC the vehicles will undergo a three-level test.

First is a visual inspection of their parts. The second level will be the machine test and the third level will be the sound level test and headlight test. Diri pa lang masigurado naton nga ang aton nga salakyan safe pinaagi sa mga test,” Apolinar explained.

In response to remarks of local officials that the inspection policy is a money-making scheme, Apolinar said that the computer-generated system is tamper-proof and cannot be manipulated by fixers or employees.

“The PMVICs are designed to use computer machines so it cannot be manipulated. It follows a standard so there is almost no human intervention.  Any corrupt practices will not prosper,” he said.

Duron will also visit a Private Motor Vehicle Inspection Center in Roxas City, which is the first to operate in Western Visayas, to observe the speed of the inspection process.