LTO: Vehicle owners may still choose between PMVIC and PETC

The leadership of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) clarified that the mandatory inspection of motor vehicles at private motor vehicle inspection centers (PMVIC) remains suspended.

Assistant Secretary Edgar Galvante said that vehicles may still choose between the private emission testing center (PETC) with the required LTO visual inspection or PMVIC for roadworthiness and compliance with the Clean Air Act.

“Hindi naman na-suspend ang operation ng PMVICs. They can still operate. Ang na-suspend lamang ay iyong mandatory inspection sa PMVICs, at implementation ng GAOR (geographic areas of responsibility). Ibig sabihin, sa mga lugar kung saan may mga PMVIC, malaya pa ring makapamimili ang tao kung sa PMVIC o PETC magpapa-inspect ng sasakyan bago magpa-rehistro (The PMVIC operations have not been suspended; they still can operate. What is suspended is the mandatory inspection at PMVICs and the implementation of the GAOR. This means in places where there are PMVICs, the people may still choose whether they would have their vehicles inspected by a PMVIC or PETC before applying for vehicle registration),” Galvante said.

The LTO chief made the clarification in response to a statement released by Senator Grace Poe’s camp who shared that her office had received information that some PMVIC “are now allowed to unduly operate in several provinces after they were earlier suspended pending further review.”

Last August, Department of Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade ordered all LTO regional offices to suspend the mandatory inspection and testing of vehicles at PMVICs.

Galvante said vehicle owners might have misinterpreted the rollout of Land Transportation Management System (LTMS) that connects PMVIC with LTO offices optimize the agency’s Motor Vehicle Inspection and Registration System (MVIRS), as a return of the mandatory vehicle inspections at the PMVICs.

Aside from improving the use of the MVIRS, the LTMS is also targeted to gather sufficient baseline data to assess the status of motor vehicles in the country in terms of roadworthiness and safety.

“In the inspection and registration of motor vehicles in areas where there is a complete roll-out of the LTMS MVIRS, results from PMVICs will be utilized. The results gathered from the PMVICs shall be used as a baseline data to ensure that the lsystem will be able to ensure road worthiness of vehicles plying our roads, thereby improving the road safety standards of the Philippines,” Galvante stated in the memorandum to LTO regional directors dated last October 6.

Galvante explained that in areas where LTO offices are without LTMS or there is LTMS but no existing PMVIC, the PETC emission test results will be accepted for registration, subject to their visual inspection of the vehicle.

“The new memorandum issued by LTO is intended to roll out the Motor Vehicle Inspection and Registration System, which is one of the six core modules of the LTMS. It is not for the mandatory GAOR implementation, but a rollout of the LTMS MVIRS. Even with the current memo, PETC results will still be accepted and will be uploaded in the LTO’s record system,” Galvante added.

Photos from Iñigo Larrazabal

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