Archival criticizes emission test centers

CEBU, Philippines - A Cebu City councilor suspects that government-accredited emission testing centers are not strictly observing the policy to weed out smoke-belching vehicles from the roads.

Councilor Nestor Archival, chairman of the City Council’s committee on environment, said  he still sees several smoke-belching and dilapidated vehicles, particularly trucks and public utility jeepneys (PUJ), in the roads.

He suspects that some of the private emission testing centers are just after the money paid by the owners of vehicles rather than strictly enforcing the law.

“Emission test is a mandatory requirement since it measures pollutant emits by engines that is detrimental to the environment, particularly the quality of air we breathe,” said Archival.

Emission testing and actual inspection of all motor vehicles, even motorcycles, are required to all vehicle owners upon renewing their registration every year.

“While the law provides for strict guidelines in the registration of new and old vehicles, smoke-belching and dilapidated vehicles are still regularly seen plying in the city’s major thoroughfares, this is so because most emission test are conducted by accredited private emission testing centers,” Archival said.

According to him, there is a need to revisit the rules and guidelines of the Land Transportation Office or the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) in the conduct of emission test.

For her part, Councilor Nida Cabrera, who previously chairs the environment committee, believes that by faking passing grades, some motor vehicle owners are circumventing the law on emission testing and are able to secure certificate of emission compliance for their vehicles without really undergoing the emission testing.

Records show that a few years ago, six private emission testing centers in Central Visayas, particularly in Cebu City, were closed by the government after they were caught issuing passing grades to vehicles that did not undergo smoke testing.

To stop the illegal practice of some private emission testing centers, the DOTC required them to install camera that is directly linked to their office in Manila to prove that vehicles actually showed up for the smoke test. — (FREEMAN)