The Department of Transportation said Friday it has legal basis to revive the implementation of the motor vehicle inspection by private centers to ensure the roadworthiness of vehicles.
“In the legal opinion of the Office of the Solicitor General dated 18 March 2021, OSG said that the Department of Transportation and the Land Transportation Office have authority to ensure the roadworthiness of vehicles and consequently implement the motor vehicle inspection system,” the DOTR-Private Motor Vehicle Inspection Center steering committee said in a statement.
The agency issued the statement after Senator Ralph Recto criticized the mandatory implementation of the Private Motor Vehicle Inspection System, adding it was “roused from the dead.”
“As to the issue of DOTR and LTO authorizing private entities to conduct inspection of motor vehicles, the Administrative Code of 1987 and E.O. 125-A allows DOTR to call on any corporation or organization, whether public or private, to participate and assist in the implementation of transportation programs,” the committee said.
The DOTR said the implementation of the PMVIC system would not result in long lines, longer processing time and longer travel time to faraway PMVIC sites. “We have fully addressed this with the issuance of DOTR Memorandum Circular No. 2021-02 or the Implementation of Geographical Area of Responsibility for the renewal of registration for light vehicles and motorcycles, dated July 5, 2021,” it said.
The committee said the full roadworthiness inspection of vehicles would be P600 for light vehicles and P500 for motorcycles. There will be no additional fees for re-inspection or retest.
“With these, we wish to gently re-direct the misimpression of the honorable senator that we are marketing the PMVICs as the be-all, end-all solution to minimizing road accidents. Though roadworthiness is not the cure-all for road crashes, it is one of the pillars of road safety,” the DOTR PMIC committee said.
“Thus, we remain firm in our commitment to address the roadworthiness requisite prior to renewal of vehicle registration. And, currently, PMVICs are the most equipped facilities which can accurately, efficiently, and reliably measure this vital requirement of the law,” it said.