Transport groups protest mandatory smoke-belch tests

Transport groups asked the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) to suspend the implementation of the mandatory smoke emission-testing program, saying it was not submitted for a public hearing.

In a meeting with DOTC Undersecretary Arturo Valdez, transport groups said the program should be implemented in January next year to give them more time to prepare.

According to Efren de Luna, president of the Philippine Confederation of Drivers Organizations-Alliance of Concerned Transport Organizations (PCDO-ACTO), the "rush implementation" of the program would only result in confusion so it must be shelved temporarily.

"We know that the smoke emission program is something we can’t totally stop. What we want is for the DOTC to delay the implementation until January next year," de Luna said.

But the DOTC insisted that the smoke-emission program must push through being a key component of the Clean Air Act.

"I told the transport groups that the implementation has long been overdue. It’s in the law. We have been talking about this since last year so it’s really about time to put this in place," Valdez added.

The law seeks to remove from the road all vehicles that contribute to air pollution.

Starting last Oct. 1, the DOTC required all motor vehicles up for registration with the Land Transportation Office (LTO) branches in Metro Manila to be tested for smoke emission. The LTO will not register those that fail the test.

Apart from this, the DOTC has intensified roadside apprehension of vehicles that emit visible black smoke.

Valdez said the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) had accredited 15 private emission-testing centers (PETC) to test the 1.7 million motor vehicles in the metropolis.

Valdez said that vehicles that pass the test will be issued a certificate valid for 60 days. A certificate, however, will not be honored if a vehicle is caught by roadside enforcers. – Sheila Crisostomo