Senators urged the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to suspend the implementation of the new Motor Vehicle Inspection System (NMVIS) due to several issues and concerns.
Senators wants to suspend the new Motor Vehicle Inspection System for the time being
At the hearing of the Senate public services committee last February 9, the Senators were convinced that there is sufficient basis to suspend the implementation of the NMVIS as well as the operations of all Private Motor Vehicle Inspection Centers (PMVIC) at this time.
Senator Joel Villanueva is among the lawmakers that sought the suspension of the MVIS and the operations of all PMVIC. Villanueva said that officials of the DOTr and the LTO have failed to “sufficiently consult respective stakeholders who raised various issues on the operations of the PMVICs.”
"There are questions on the uniformity of the systems these privately-owned testing centers utilize, how they formulated the fees, and how LTO exercises control and supervision over them," Villanueva said.
Villanueva noted that the unanswered questions are grounds to suspend the implementation of the NMVIS as well as the operations of PMVIC.
LTO's new Motor Vehicle Inspection System
Last January, we reported that two non-government organizations expressed their concern about the LTO’s NMVIS. Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) and the Clean Air Movement Philippines Inc. (CAMPI) pointed out the lack of transparency of the new MVIS.
VACC president Arsenio Evangelista clarified that the group is not against the LTO’s new MVIS scheme. He said that VACC is concerned about the system’s lack of transparency that could lead to corruption. Evangelista added that the LTO should have consulted the public beforehand in regards to the NMVIS.
On the other hand, Senator Grace Poe said that the DOTr and the LTO should have prioritized implementing the NMVIS to public utility vehicles over private vehicles. Poe explained that public utility vehicles are the ones usually involved in “wholesale road mishaps” as compared to private vehicles.
Poe further said that the timing of the implementation of the NMVIS “could not have been worse” since the country has not yet overcome the health and economic crisis brought upon by the COVID-19 pandemic.
LTO-accredited Private Motor Vehicle Inspection Centers come with technicians to conduct the test
In addition, Senators Ralph Recto and Franklin Drilon sought the suspension of the NMVIS. Recto and Drilon said that there is no specific law authorizing the LTO to privatize motor vehicle inspection.
However, DOTr Undersecretary for Legal Affairs Reinier Paul Yebra said that the NMVIS is based on the following: RA 4136 or Land Transportation and Traffic Code, the Philippine Clean Air Act, and Executive Order 125.
The LTO’s new MVIS intends to make sure that a vehicle is roadworthy before being allowed to have its registration renewed. It includes a comprehensive inspection of at least 60 vehicle components.
The inspection and the test will be conducted by Private Motor Vehicle Inspection Centers (PMVIC) that are accredited by the LTO. The PMVIC will then determine if a certain vehicle passed or failed in the inspection and test. Failing the test simply means that a vehicle will not be eligible for registration renewal. Vehicle owners are required to pay Php 1,800 for the inspection fee, and Php 600 for motorcycle owners.
Visit Philkotse.com to get more updates about LTO’s NMVIS.