Private motor vehicle inspection centers (PMVICs) have emerged in light of concerns over roadworthiness of vehicles. However, these have come under fire from motorists over various issues, ranging from initial high testing fees to reported faulty testing protocols that yield false results and vehicle damage.
PMVIC operators have had enough of being portrayed as the villain
Now, they’re firing back at their critics. The Vehicle Inspection Centers Operators Association of the Philippines (VICOAP) defended the operations of its members, saying that PMVICs address the ‘non-appearance’ scheme that many motorists take advantage of during vehicle registration renewals.
Private emission testing centers (PETCs) have become notorious for such a practice, where fixers give motorists the option to not show up for vehicle inspections in exchange for a fee. Emissions test results are then falsified and presented to the Land Transportation Office (LTO) for renewing registrations.
According to VICOAP Spokesperson Atty. Fudge Tajar, the services that PMVICs offer cannot be substituted for by a motorist’s non-appearance. This requires all cars subject to renewal to be physically present at the testing center, negating the need for fixers.
Motorists need not transact with fixers as cars should be physically present for testing
“Aside from the quality of inspections, the PMVICs are also required to be linked to the Land Transportation Management System (LTMS), a modern and centralized portal that ensures data cannot be manipulated,” she said. “Likewise, the PMVICs are required to record and upload the videos of every single vehicle being inspected to the LTMS – yet another layer that ensures transparency and integrity in the process.”
“The supposed convenience offered by fixers perpetuates the idea that proper vehicle inspection is not important,” Tajar adds. “That dangerous notion has to stop and that is why PMVICs play a crucial role, because ours is the industry that sparks and encourages that shift towards a mentality of responsible vehicle ownership.”
In a recent online hearing of the subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Finance, one of the invited speakers was Vice Mayor Mannix Ortega of San Juan, La Union, who said that roadworthiness machine testing conducted by PMVICs was debatable. The Sangguniang Panlunsod (SP) of San Fernando, another local government unit in La Union, voted to suspend PMVIC operations early this year due to complaints from motorists.
The original fees have also been lowered to be at par with those of PETCs
“With all due respect to the vice-mayor, all testing equipment used in PMVICs have undergone regulatory procedures in the Philippines. These are the same machines that are also used in vehicle inspections facilities all over the world, in both developing and developed countries,” Tajar countered. “We are not sure if he is merely trying to protect the interests of PETC owners.”
She also disputed claims of the high fees that PMVICs charge, saying that rates have been set at Php 600 for light vehicles and Php 500 for motorcycles. This is almost at par with the Php 400 to Php 500 that motorists pay PETCs, with PMVICs offering a more comprehensive range of vehicle tests for registration renewal while waiving re-testing fees.
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