DOTr-PMVIC: Vehicle inspection mandatory for registration renewal

An executive of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) stated that motor vehicles (including motorcycles) need to be inspected for safety and road worthiness before the renewal of registration could push through.

In a statement, Transportation Undersecretary for Administrative Service Artemio Tuazon Jr. shared that the thorough inspection of vehicles prior to the vehicle registration or renewal at the Land Transportation Office (LTO) is “in line with the current thrust of the DOTr to make sure that motor vehicles on the country's roads remain roadworthy.

"An unsafe vehicle on the road can kill and be as deadly as a vehicle driven by a drunk driver. A poorly maintained vehicle can experience mechanical failure that may end in a terrible road crash," Tuazon, who is also the chairperson of the DOTr-Private Motor Vehicle Inspection Center (PMVIC) Steering Committee, was quoted as saying.

The DOTr-PMVIC Steering Committee shared the data from Metro Manila Accident Reporting and Analysis System (MMARAS) in 2019 claiming that 121,771 road crashes in Metro Manila happened that year — 372 of which ended in deaths while 20,466 victims suffered from non-fatal injuries and 100,933 resulted in damage to property.

According To Tuazon, such incidents can be prevented by ensuring the vehicles are roadworthy.

“A road crash can happen anytime. May pandemya man o wala, maaring mangyari ang isang road crash kung hundi tayo magiging maingat (Whether  there is a pandemic or not, a road crash can still take place if we are not cautious),” he noted.

Tuazon assured motorists that they need not to worry about the inspection cost in a PMVIC as its pricing has been leveled to the cost of an emission test given by a private emission testing center (PETC).

Moreover, Tuazon urged motorists to have their vehicles inspected by PMVICs so as not to crowd LTO branches.

Further, the agency guaranteed that incidents of graft in the registration process will also be prevented as the set of tests to be done at a PMVIC is recorded on video and “all of the tests results are sent real-time to the main database of the LTO” which, according to Tuazon, will prevent incidents of tampered inspection results and “non-appearance” registrants as vehicles will really be tested for roadworthiness.

Relatedly, DOTr Assistant Secretary Goddes Hope Libiran said that “for purposes of registering the vehicle, it should pass the emission and visual inspection at the PMVIC. Yung ibang mga tests are merely recommendatory lang,” she added.

Earlier this year, Malacañang announced that the motor vehicle inspection system is no longer mandatory. Shortly after, PMVIC owners headed by Vehicle Inspection Center Operators Association of the Philippines (VICOAP) President Iñigo Larrazabal lowered the testing fees to P600 for light vehicles; P500 for motorcycles; and P300 for public utility jeepneys.

Photos from Iñigo Larrazabal

Also read:

VICOAP supports government’s stance on ensuring vehicle roadworthiness

PMVIC owners group chief says current fees cannot go down any lower

Gov’t speeds up opening of private motor vehicle inspection centers