LTO tightens emission testing control

Land Transportation Office chief Assistant Secretary Reynaldo Berroya yesterday ordered all of the agency’s regional directors to make sure that all private emission testing centers in their respective jurisdictions are hooked up with information technology providers of their choice under the LTO’s PETC-Information Technology Facility Interconnectivity Project to ensure eradication of fraudulent operations.

"I personally instructed the regional directors to advice PETCs operating in their regions to choose among the four IT providers earlier approved by the LTO authorization committee pursuant to the DOTC Department orders 2005-34 and 2005-37," Berroya said in a statement.

Earlier, the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC)- LTO-PETC authorization committee has authorized four IT companies — ETC IT, Eurolink, Realtime Data Management Services, and Oaxis Software Development and Computer Sales — to help out in the vehicle smoke emission testing in line with the government’s efforts to bring down air pollution.

The committee said the four companies have proven that they were capable of providing services needed in the project after meeting technical requirements and standards.

Transportation and Communications Secretary Leandro Mendoza issued the twin orders mandating the interconnectivity between the emission testing centers and LTO motor vehicle registration system, which is aimed at eradicating fraudulent emission testing.

This interconnectivity ensures that no motor vehicle will be registered unless it has passed smoke emission standards.

The LTO has conducted earlier two tests as part of the testing requirements of the agency.

Vehicles up for registration are required to pass smoke tests but anomalies have plagued some private emission testing centers.

Vehicles that were not up to par were passed and even some vehicle owners don’t show up at all for testing but were nevertheless issued certificates showing that they passed.

The four IT companies have installed webcams in all private emission testing centers nationwide to curb wrongdoings.

LTO records revealed that at least 1.3 million registered vehicles failed to undergo smoke emission tests.