Motorcycle inspection for road worthiness to be required soon

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) will soon implement the long dormant Motor Vehicle Inspection System (MVIS) which will check vehicles for road worthiness.

The LTO recently released Memorandum Circular NO.2018-2158, which sets the guidelines for the authorization of private motor vehicle inspection centers (PMVIC). These upcoming PMVICs located in different regions of the country will then help the LTO in implementing the previously announced mandatory testing of old vehicles for roadworthiness.

Motorcycles and tricycles, riders/operators can expect to pay Php 600 and a Php 300 re-inspection fee if needed. This will be a requirement prior to registration renewal. The PMVIC will ensure the vehicle is roadworthy by checking aspects of the vehicle like brakes, lights, speedometer, exhaust, safety compliance and any unauthorized modifications. Any vehicle that fails the inspection will have to undergo the necessary repairs or remove any violating modifications before being inspected again.

A total of 138 PMVICs will be authorized all over the country. Of that number, 68 of these PMVICs will be located in the NCR, while the other 70 can be found in the rest of the 15 regions. These PMVICs must also meet a number of requirements in order to be authorized.

According to the LTO, any center applying to be a PMVIC must have a minimum of two Light Vehicle lanes and two Motorcycle lanes for testing, along with a complete list of inspection equipment for the headlights, brakes, speedometer, and tailpipe emissions. Inspection technicians who will be operating the test equipment must also have a minimum of NC II TESDA Automotive Servicing Certification.

As for the testing procedure, it mentions that the full inspection of each vehicle must be completed in 30 minutes. If the vehicle centers are open from 8:00AM to 5:00PM, that means they are only legally mandated to have a capacity of 36 vehicles and 36 motorcycles/tricycles a day.

Finally, CCTV cameras must cover the entire process of the testing, with one camera capturing the number plate of the vehicle in testing. The PMVIC must also be fully automated and capable of being interconnected with the LTO IT system, with all test results recorded and uploaded automatically. Manual encoding and editing of results are prohibited.

The LTO has not specified when it will be implemented, however all motor vehicle owners and operators are advised to ensure their motorcycles are compliant before testing.

That was what The Land Transportation Office (LTO) outlined in the newly-issued Memorandum Circular NO.2018-2158, which sets the guidelines for the authorization of private motor vehicle inspection centers (PMVIC). These upcoming PMVICs located in different regions of the country will then help the LTO in implementing the previously announced mandatory testing of old vehicles for roadworthiness.

The cause for concern is that the basic amount for the initial inspection could almost double the registration fees that most motorcycle owners already have to pay. Moreover, A re-inspection fee of Php 300 will be collected when a motor vehicle fails the first inspection.