DOTC cites car emission test centers

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) said yesterday it recognizes the vital role played by private emission testing centers (PETCs) and their information technology (IT) providers in the ongoing fight to rid the country’s streets of smoke-belching vehicles.

Anneli Lontoc, acting DOTC secretary, said under the DOTC and Land Transportation Office’s smoke emission testing process mandated by the Clean Air Act, PETCs and IT providers are the government’s partners in ensuring that only vehicles that do not emit excessive and harmful black smoke gets requisite certificates of compliance (COCs).

Lontoc said that without the PETCs, the government could not undertake smoke emission tests on all vehicle owners seeking the renewal of their registration with the LTO.

The DOTC, along with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Department of Trade and Industry, have been tasked to monitor the LTO’s smoke emission testing process since the enactment of the Clean Air Act.

In a forum at the DENR last week, Lontoc said local government units (LGUs) can also undertake their own efforts to remove smoke-belching vehicles in their area by forming their own anti-smoke belching units (ASBUs) that can undertake roadside smoke emission testing.

Lontoc said they welcome efforts by all stakeholders who want to have clean air.

The LTO has mandated PETCs to take photographs of all vehicles undergoing smoke emission tests and upload this in real-time to the LTO database through the Internet to prevent so-called “non-appearance” (NA) cases from taking place.

NA cases are cases where vehicle owners connive with unscrupulous PETCs to avoid having to fall in line.

The LTO has four accredited PETC IT providers that provide Internet and other computer services to PETCs: Eurolink, RDMS, ETC IT and Cyberlink. The four PETC IT providers were given accreditation under DOTC Order 37 issued in 2005.

Erring PETCs have been caught red-handed allowing “non-appearances” by uploading fake emission tests and tampered photos.