TUBA, Benguet – The first accredited Private Motor Vehicle Inspection Center (PMVIC) in the Cordillera recently opened to ensure the road worthiness of motor vehicles plying various roads inside and outside the region.
The EBVC Motor Vehicle Inspection Services is now operational along Marcos highway to cater to the motor vehicle inspection needs of motor vehicles having their registrations renewed with the land Transportation Office (LTO).
Under the law, a PMVIC is a facility that conducts computerized and automated inspections of vehicles, as well as visual inspections by National Certification (NC) 2 accredited technicians, in compliance with exhaust emission and roadworthiness standards set by the regulating agencies such as the Department of Transportation (DOTR) through the LTO.
Further, inspections in PMVICs are a requirement for the annual registration renewals of vehicles. In addition to this, these inspections are aimed at reducing the number of road crashes caused by defective parts and mechanical issues.
On the other hand, PMVICs inspect private, government and for hire light vehicles or those 4,500 kilograms and below that include Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs), pick-ups, sedans, hatchbacks, and motorcycles and tricycles.
PMVIC style inspection is implemented globally be it in developed or developing countries. The Philippines is the only country in Asia that does not use PMVICs or similarly configured facilities to comply with roadworthiness standards. Moreover, the PMVIC program of the Philippines has been in development for the last 20 years showing that the need for it has always existed and been acknowledged.
PMVIC inspection fees are value added tax inclusive where light vehicle inspection is pegged at PhP 672, motorcycle inspection – PhP 560 and for hire inspection – PhP 330. Re-inspections are free should the vehicle fail an inspection point. Although the cost of having a vehicle inspected at a PMVIC may seem more generally higher compared to that of a private emission testing center (PETC), it is actually cheaper because of the total number of inspection points covered versus the sole emission test of a PETC.
PETCs test only for exhaust emission compliance while PMVICs in addition to examining emissions, also conduct 72 other points for road worthiness compliance.
LTO-CAR regional director Francis Ray Almora claimed that the operation of the first PMVIC in the Cordillera will definitely help in the agency’s campaign for the road worthiness of motor vehicles being registered because there such a facility will ensure the conduct of comprehensive tests on the vehicles to ensure their compliance to the prevailing standards prior to registration.
He expressed hope that owners of motor vehicles will patronize the services of the operating PMVIC in the region because this will greatly contribute in significantly reducing the occurrence of road accidents and guarantee the road worthiness of vehicles plying the roads inside and outside the region considering that some roads in the Cordillera are be accident-prone and that major causes of road crashes are human error, defective motor vehicle parts, among others.
