DOTr Scraps 15-Year Age Limit for Trucks in Favor of Motor Vehicle Inspection System

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has backtracked on its initial plan to phase out trucks that are more than 15 years old in favor of a roadworthiness test to be conducted by the Land Transportation Office's (LTO) Motor Vehicle Inspection System (MVIS).

Based on a memorandum circular issued by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), truck operators with units that are more than 15 years old may continue operating with their franchises provided the said vehicles can pass the LTO's MVIS.

"We will be veering away from the vehicle age policy moving towards the roadworthiness policy in terms of determining roadworthiness of public utility vehicles," said LTFRB Chairman Martin Delgra III in a press briefing on Wednesday, November 21. "During the transition, units that are 15 years old or much older can continue to operate. Once the MVIS is put in place, the policy to determine the roadworthiness of the vehicle will be done through the motor vehicle inspection system."

On April 17, 2017, DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade signed Department Order (DO) 2017-09, which reinforces DO 2002-30, which set a mandatory 15-year age limit for public utility buses and trucks for hire that are covered by a certificate of public convenience, with the model year stated in the vehicle's certificate of registration issued by the LTO presumed to be the year of manufacture.

According to Delgra, the transition period for truck operators to replace non-compliant units under the DO is from June 30, 2017 to June 30, 2020.

"For existing CPCs and pending applications for trucks for hire service there should be a two-and-a-half-year transition period or until June 30, 2020 within which operators of trucks for hire will be required to substitute noncompliant units per DO 2017-09," shared Delgra. "However, upon establishment of the MVIS centers during the transition period, the roadworthiness certificate shall be the basis to determine a public utility vehicle’s roadworthiness."

To help LTO with the MVIS, the DOTr has supposedly issued a DO that will accredit private companies to operate MVIS facilities nationwide.

"We are currently drafting the implementing rules and regulations wherein we will accredit private companies to run these MVIS facilities," said DOTr officer-in-charge Undersecretary for Road Transport Mark de Leon. "We expect this to be up and running after six months around that time period."

According to de Leon, his agency plans to accredit more than 200 MVIS facilities that will be operated by private companies across the country to supplement the 26 mobile inspection units that the LTO plans to procure.