Ordinance for LPG vehicles gets PB law committee’s nod

The proposed provincial ordinance regulating the conversion of gasoline-fed vehicles to Liquefied Petroleum Gas or autogas got approval from the committee on laws and ordinance, headed by Provincial Board member Antonio Almirante.

The move of using of LPG by any motor vehicle was sponsored by board member Victor Maambong but it provides the creation of a municipality or city accredited body to formulate safety rules and standards pursuant to the guidelines set by the Department of Energy.

"The proposed ordinance finds justification in the general welfare clause embodied in Section 16 of the local government code," Almirante said, as the ordinance is a valid exercise of police power, in his report to the provincial board.

Although the ordinance is already approved for the first reading, Almirante recommended it for further deliberation.

Under the proposed ordinance, it shall be unlawful for any person to operate any shop providing services without having secured the valid accreditation from the appropriate government agencies granting the accreditation.

Operations without necessary accreditation will be punished by a fine of P500 for the first offense, P2,000 for the second offense and P5,000 for the third offense or imprisonment of not exceeding 30 days or both upon the discretion of the court.

The shops with accreditation found in violation of the established safety standards and procedures shall be closed immediately without prejudice to the filing of appropriate action against the owner.

The Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) said that shops converting gasoline-fed motor vehicle engines to cooking gas-fed units shall be held liable for any accident arising from the said conversion.

The agency recently issued Department Order 2007-06, which compels converters to comply with the provisions of the Philippine Clean Air Act and standards set by the Department of Trade and Industry-Bureau of Products Standards.

The new rule said that devices for the use of LPG by any motor vehicle shall be installed only by a conversion shop duly certified by the DTI-BPS under its Philippine Standards Certification Mark (PS Mark) scheme.

"The shop shall install the device in accordance with the specifications of the Standard Code of Practice for the use of LPG (PNS 05), making sure that the fill valve is located outside of the vehicle compartment and isolated from an Auto-LPG container," the DOTC said.

The agency said that any LPG fuel device with the PS MARK installed in a motor vehicle shall be guaranteed by the shop by issuing a Certificate of Conversion/Installation against faulty defects.

Vehicles converted to LPG shall be subjected to an annual maintenance and inspection by the Philippine Standards certified conversion/installing shop. The shop shall issue a corresponding Certificate of Inspection and Maintenance Compliance.

A person registering an auto-LPG motor vehicle shall present documents, in addition to other Land Transportation Office requirements. These are the PS License Certificate issued by the DTI-BPS, the certificate of installation/conversion by the PS certified conversion/installing shop, and the current certificate of inspection and maintenance compliance certificate issued by the PS certified conversion/installing shop. — Garry B. Lao/BRP