LTO-6 official defends vehicle inspection policy

By Joseph B.A. Marzan

 

An official of the Land Transportation Office-Region 6 (LTO-6) on Friday doubled down on the implementation of the Private Motor Vehicle Inspection Centers (PMVIC) this year despite calls from public transport groups and local politicians to postpone.

In an interview with Bombo Radyo Iloilo, Atty. Gaudioso Geduspan, LTO-6 Assistant Regional Director, reiterated the aim of Memorandum Circular (MC) 2018-2158, which implements the PMVIC system.

The MC, which was issued by the LTO central office in November 2018, states that the PMVICs sought to ease motor vehicle inspections in ensuring roadworthiness of the vehicles.

As of this writing, there has been only one approved PMVIC in Western Visayas located in Roxas City.

A PMVIC in Iloilo City, located along Coastal Road, is currently under construction and is “80-90% complete,” according to Geduspan.

Other PMVICs in the city and province of Iloilo are in Diversion Road, Mandurriao district, another in Jaro district, and one each in Passi City, Calinog, and Guimbal.

This was more than what was indicated to be authorized in the LTO’s MC, with only two in Iloilo City and one in Passi City.

While PMVICs have not yet opened in these areas, the LTO-6 is still conducting manual inspections done by their personnel in Iloilo provinces, Aklan, and Antique.

As to the inspection, Geduspan suggested that owners should have their vehicles checked or “pre-inspected” at least a month before applying for new registration or for renewal for an easier inspection process.

“[T]he end objective is for our vehicles to be properly maintained when having they’re undergoing registration, so that we can ensure that all vehicles plying our roads are roadworthy. If we maintain our vehicles well, that wouldn’t be a problem. Before you undergo inspection, we suggest that you have your vehicle pre-inspected. It means you should have your vehicle checked up, so that when you arrive at the vehicle inspection center, it could easily pass,” Geduspan said.

Responding to the concerns of the transport groups, he said that it would be “better” if vehicles did not pass on the first try.

The fees for the first inspection are at PHP1,800 for light-duty vehicles and PHP600 for motorcycles, while reinspection after failure costs PHP900 for light-duty vehicles and PHP300 for motorcycles.

Geduspan said the LTO-6 already visited the accredited PMVIC facility in Roxas City and said that the LTO was “impressed” by their processes.

He also clarified that the inspection only takes around 8 to 10 minutes, in contrast to the 30 minutes he said in past interviews.

Vehicles which will not pass inspections will not be given a “digital” certificate of PMVIC compliance and will not be allowed to ply the roads.

These certificates will be in barcode form and will be attached to the vehicles’ license plates.