Oriental Mindoro governor, Humerlito “Bonz” Dolor, has asked Land Transportation Office (LTO) assistant secretary, Edgar Galvante, to suspend the Motor Vehicle Inspection System (MVIS) requirement for private vehicle owners in the province.
Now being rolled out in some provinces, the new requirement means drivers that want to register their vehicles will have to pass an MVIS inspection. Under the directive, all private vehicle owners in Mindoro must undergo vehicle inspection through an accredited Private Motor Vehicle Inspection Center (PMVIC). So far, only LTO Calapan has an established PMVIC in the area, forcing many to travel more than 100 kilometers from their residence.
The governor says that while they laud the LTO’s program that is aimed to make our roads safer, it is “improperly timed” since the country is still technically under quarantine. The PMVIC requirement will force people to travel from one town to another and increases the risk of COVID-19 transmission. This is especially problematic for Mindoro with just one testing center in Calapan. If it were suspended, drivers can register in other available LTO extension offices across the province.
“By requiring all registrants to travel to one place to register their vehicles, [the] LTO is increasing the risk for registrants to acquire COVID-19,” said the governor in his letter to Asec. Galvante.
According to the local vehicle owners, some have to travel more than 100 kilometers from their homes just to go to Calapan, and have to endure waiting for as long as 5 to 6 hours to get their vehicles inspected at the PMVIC.
*Main photo courtesy of Xtreme Sports Philippines Facebook page
