Vehicle emission tests resume in Baguio City

By Aileen P. Refuerzo

BAGUIO CITY – Random vehicle smoke emission tests resume in the city following the lifting of Mayor Mauricio Domogan’s suspension order on the operation of the Roadside Inspection, Testing and Monitoring Team (RITMT).

       

In his Administrative Order No. 80 issued last week, the mayor dissolved the suspension order and directed the immediate resumption of the RITMT operations immediately “in the interest of public health and environmental protection.”

This, he said, “after series of consultations and dialogues were conducted with the different stakeholders for purposes of review, evaluation and assessment of the policies and procedures relative to the conduct of RITMT operation and boosting the credibility of its test results.”

                

The city along with other government agencies, private transport organizations and testing centers adopted last July 2 comprehensive guidelines on the conduct of smoke emission tests that mandate common testing standards and procedures by both government and private firms.

               

The guidelines contained in a memorandum of agreement signed by the various sectors included the synchronized motor specification engine particularly the average maximum RPM (revolutions per minute) standard of vehicles during the testing and procedures in the conduct of the tests and the tachometer requirement which came out as one of the causes of the disparity between the city RITMT test results and those of the private companies.

                

The signatories were Directors Celina Claver of the Dept. of Transportation and Communication-Land Transportation Office Cordillera (DOTC-LTO-CAR), Myrna Pablo of the Dept. of Trade and Industry Cordillera (DTI-CAR, Oscar Cabayanan Jr. of the Environmental Management Bureau-Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources Cordillera (EMB-DENR-CAR) and Yolanda Olano of the Technical Education Skills Development Authority Cordillera (TESDA-CAR), Baguio City Police director PSSupt. Jesus Cambay Jr., Perfecto Itliong Jr. of the Baguio City Public Transport groups, Melanio Panayo Jr. of the Samahan ng mga Taxi sa Cordillera, Adolfo Malingan of the Alay sa Kalinisan Inc. and the owners of five private emission testing centers (PETCs) in the city.

                

The new procedure for the RITMT operations as implemented by the Clean Air Monitoring Unit (CAMU)-CEPMO are:

 *The City’s smoke testing machines have the capability to test all gas, diesel and LPG fed vehicles whether they are newly released by manufacturers/dealers or  overhauled;

              *Newly overhauled vehicles that have undergone a general overhaul are afforded a 30 calendar day grace period, while partially overhauled vehicles are given a seven calendar day grace period, provided that during the roadside inspection, they are able to present the official receipts from a DTI accredited and City-permitted auto/mechanic repair shop;

              *The PETCs shall maintain a database of all tested vehicles classified accordingly (Type, Manufacturer, Model, Fuel Type, Owner and Contact address recorded on CR, Current Owner and Address, RPM, K value, Opacity, Hydrocarbon (HC), Carbon Monoxide (CO), Oxygen (O2), Carbon Dioxide (CO2), etc.) where the City, through CEPMO, will provide a database form/template for the purpose of PETC data recording, similar to RITMT-CAMU’s database. The PETCs and RITMT-CAMU shall furnish the CAMU-TWG with a copy of their databases, on a quarterly basis, for the information of the TWG, to allow objectivity, for purposes of comparison and assessment,  and for use as basis in making recommendations to help facilitate the harmonization process;

            *The CEPMO shall furnish all concerned manufacturers/dealers about failed smoke belching test results of the manufacturers’ newly manufactured- released vehicles for their information and appropriate action; (reckoning date/year of newly manufactured); and

               *The CEPMO will regularly furnish the DOTC-CAR and the BCPO a list of unclaimed confiscated items related to RITMT operations, as reference for the issuance of Traffic Clearances.

               

The guidelines also addressed the need to resolve the discrepancy of the smoke testing results between PETCs and the RITMT by harmonizing the system, procedures and standards to be used in testing of vehicles through simultaneous training of PETC and RITMT technicians in the procedure of emission testing, installation of tachometers in their smoke testing machines which shall now be a requirement by the City for the issuance of a business permit; adoption of common minimum-maximum RPM standard to be used by both the PETCs and the RITMT-CAMU for emission testing of diesel-fed vehicles and other measures.