Safe roads start with vehicle registration

According to the Land Transportation Office (LTO), around 24.7 million motor vehicles, mostly motorcycles, have expired motor vehicle registration. Registration records in Metro Manila, Central Luzon and Calabarzon regions have the most number of delinquent motor vehicles.

The 24.7 million motor vehicles with expired registration translates to around 65 percent of the total number of motor vehicles in the country — which means that only 35 percent of motor vehicles currently travelling in all Philippine roads are registered.

Because of this, the LTO will conduct a nationwide motor vehicle registration caravan known as “Oplan Balik Rehistro, Be Road Ready” to encourage delinquent vehicle owners to register.

The data is alarming since motor vehicle registration comes with an inspection protocol to determine the road worthiness of motor vehicles. As those who have registered recently experienced, a pre-requisite to registration is to subject the vehicle to a motor vehicle inspection test. That determines the functionality of parts like lights, turn signals, brakes, and the vehicle’s general condition. These are designed to spot signs of disrepair and prevent those with problematic vehicles from registering.

To encourage the easy registration of delinquent motor vehicles prior to the caravan, LTO chief  Assistant Secretary Vigor Mendoza III last Monday ordered the creation of fast lanes for its owners. Those eligible for the LTO fast lane are those with an expired registration for at least one year.
Meanwhile, the LTO has aggressively enforced its “No registration, no travel” policy and has apprehended hundreds of vehicles with expired registrations. Motorists caught driving a vehicle with expired registration will be fined P10,000.

“Napakalaki ng babayaran kapag nahuli ka na walang rehistro ang inyong motorsiklo at sasakyan (You’ll have to pay a big fine if your vehicle is unregistered). That is why we are reaching out to the delinquent motor vehicle owners in order for them to avoid these stiff penalties and this includes providing priority lanes for them in all our district and extension offices,” Mendoza said.

The holding of this caravan to reach out to vehicle owners is a good program. It is to ensure that our roads are safe to all road users, especially pedestrians. Faulty brakes, for example, can cause serious injuries and death that can change the lives of people involved. Poorly maintained engines can conk out in the middle of the road causing massive traffic and loss of productivity. Non-functioning headlights can cause accidents especially when darkness or rain limits visibility.

Let us support ‘Balik Rehistro, Be Road Ready’. Tell your neighbors, friends, and your family members to check their LTO documents.  Many times, motorists forget the month for the renewal of LTO registration.

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Credit belongs to: www.mb.com.ph