DOTC to tap private firms for motor vehicle inspection

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) is looking at the possibility of privatizing the motor vehicle inspection function of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) after a series of accidents claiming the lives of passengers.

Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya said the government is studying the possibility of adopting the public private partnership (PPP) scheme for the Motor Vehicle Inspection System (MVIS) of LTO.

Abaya said the agency would seek the opinion of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) whether the government could procure the services of the private sector for the LTO function.

 â€œWe are going to NEDA because apparently the government is not in a position to procure and operate all of these (MVIS). Do we allow private sector to come in?” he asked.

The MVIS was put in place several years ago with an end view of providing a systematic, reliable and effective testing of motor vehicles through computerization and automation for compliance to safety and emission requirements.

The program is aimed at helping comply with existing motor vehicle standards, provision of national laws and international agreements; ensuring compliance to safety and emission standards; and integrating all motor vehicle inspection reports into a central motor vehicle database.

The program is supposed to prevent or minimize air pollution; eliminate not roadworthy motor vehicles; reduce traffic accidents due to improper maintenance; eliminate illegally modified vehicles; and improve fuel consumption by appropriate check or maintenance.

Under the program, the government was supposed to put up MVIS sites all over the country.

However, Abaya said the government has only established four to five MVIS sites all over the country and the LTO is having a hard time operating and maintaining these inspection sites.

 â€œWe will see if the private sector has an appetite for this. The DOTC and LTO will be purely regulating the standards,” he added.

The DOTC chief stressed the need for a strict inspection system due to the series of fatal accidents particularly involving public utility vehicles.

The most recent accident involved a Don Mariano Transit bus that fell of the elevated portion of the Skyway killing 18 people mostly passengers.