Manila Bulletin, Philippines : 143,990 2-stroke motorcycles in Central Luzon to be phased out

02/05/2003

143,990 2-stroke motorcycles in Central Luzon to be phased out

By Fred Roxas

SAN FERNANDO CITY, Pampanga – At least 143,990 two-stroke tricycles and motorcycles in Central Luzon will be phased out soon with the enforcement of the Clean Air Act.

The two-stroke vehicles represent 80 percent of the 179,997 tricycles and motorcycles registered in various districts of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) in Region 3.

Rolly Casilan, regional LTO operations division chief, said that the two-stroke motorcycles will be phased out in compliance with the Clean Air Act which, he said, should have been implemented two years ago when the law to take effect.

Casilan said that the two-stroke vehicles cannot pass the required hydrocarbon tests because their fuel is a mixture of oil and gasoline. Four-stroke motorcycles can pass the emission tests because their fuel is pure gasoline, he said.

All motor vehicles are now being subjected to emission test during their registration in compliance with the provisions of the Clean Air Act.

The tests are being conducted by private emission testing centers (PETC) although their machines are not “fool proof,” assistant transportation and communications secretary Roberto Lastimoso said.

Some associations of tricycle and passenger jeepney operators and drivers have repeatedly sought the suspension of the implementation of the Clean Air Act, specifically its provision on emission testing pending acquisition by LTO of testing equipment which it can offer free of charge to vehicle owners.

LTO Region 3 Director Jet Ma. Vitug, said, however, that an international organization will soon grant gasoline-analyzing equipment for installation in LTO regional, district offices all over the country.

Casilan said the most owners and operators of two-stroke tricycles and motorcycles have resigned to the fact that they will have to replace their vehicles with four-stroke ones.

At present, privately operated testing centers charge R300 per vehicle for the initial testing and P150 for the second testing.

These rates apply to privately owned vehicles. For public utility vehicles, the government is subsidizing the emission tests so that passenger jeepneys pay only P90 each, for hire trucks pay P110 each and tricycles, R40 each.

Lastimoso visited the regional office of the LTO here last Saturday and conducted a dialogue with some operators of public utility vehicles.