VACC mulls TRO vs privatized vehicle inspection, exorbitant fees

MANILA, Philippines — A lobby group is set to ask the Supreme Court (SC) to suspend the implementation of the privatization of motor vehicle inspection centers (PMVIC) on grounds that it had skipped public consultation.

Arsenio Evangelista, president of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC), said in an interview on Cignal TV’s OneNews that his group would seek a temporary restraining order (TRO) from the SC.

“There was no public consultation and it seems that they (Land Transportation Office) rushed this decision. What we want now is to ask for a moratorium and have a public consultation participated by sectors concerned,” he said.

Evangelista said a public consultation would require the creation of an advisory council and technical working group to ensure reasonable regulations covering PMVICs, especially since motorists are crying foul over alleged “exorbitant” fees being charged.

Inspection fees range between P1,500 and P1,800, which the LTO said was reasonable as PMVIC operators need to get their investments back and ensure the feasibility of their operations.

Earlier, LTO chief Edgar Galvante said the privatization of the system had to be done because of the government’s inability to run its own MVICs due to scarce funding.

There are only 24 PMVICs currently running nationwide, out of the 138 centers that will be opened.

For areas that still have no PMVICs, the current system of emission testing and LTO inspections will be undertaken and honored for car registrations.

Evangelista said their lawyers in the VACC are crafting a position paper on the system and will submit it before both houses of Congress and the Executive Branch.

In another development, LTO-Metro Manila director Clarence Guinto apologized for his remarks over the weekend that has riled up motorists over another issue – the implementation of the Child Car Seat Law beginning today.

Guinto had said in a radio interview that families who have bigger kids should have bigger cars to avoid violating the law requiring car seats for children aged 12 and below who are shorter than 4 feet 11 inches.

“Maybe they need to (shoot for) bigger vehicles,” Guinto told ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo when confronted with the case of 12-year-olds who are taller than 4’11” and risk hitting their heads on the ceiling of the vehicle.

Yesterday, Guinto clarified that his comment was a joke; and that if the child passenger is above 4’11”, he or she is exempted from using a child car seat and may be secured by using a regular seatbelt as prescribed by law.

The Child Car Seat Law penalizes violators P1,000 to P5,000, depending on the number of offenses.

However, the LTO said apprehensions would be deferred on its first day of implementation today, which will be devoted to informing motorists about the new law.

“This is for the protection of the children, 12 years old and below, that’s why we’re seeking the cooperation of the public with this regulation,” Guinto said.

He said some LTO personnel have begun training for the enforcement of the law, which covers private motor vehicles. But under the law, the Department of Transportation could include public motor vehicles in its implementation.

Also, the LTO is preparing an administrative order prohibiting dark car tints for private vehicles to make enforcement of the regulation easier.

Manufacturers, distributors, importers, retailers and sellers of substandard or expired child car seats and any tampering or forgery of certification stickers would be penalized for violating the law with a fine of P50,000 to P100,000 for every car seat sold.