Ejercito bill wants dashcams installed in PUVs, patrol cars, school buses

Senator JV Ejercito has filed a bill mandating the installation of dashboard cameras or dashcam systems in all public utility vehicles (PUVs), government-owned patrol cars, and school buses.

Ejercito filed on May 16 Senate Bill No. 1457 to be known as the Dash Cam Law, to “curb incidents on roads and deter violation of traffic laws and regulations.”

Ejercito cited the data of the Metro Manila Accident Recording and Analysis System (MMARAS) which recorded 109,322 counts of road accidents in the National Capital Region last year.

“It is also seen to improve and serve the interest of passengers who are subjected to the abuse and improper treatment of drivers,” Ejercito added.

“[Drivers] shall be likewise protected from unscrupulous law enforcers who abuse their power and resort to extortion,” he said.

The proposal shall cover PUV, including application-based transportation service; government-owned patrol vehicles and similar vehicles used by any law enforcement agency; and other similar vehicles offering transport service to the public.

The dashcam should occupy no longer than a five-inch square area on the driver’s side of the windshield, or a seven-inch square area on the passenger's side windshield.

“The proper placement of a dashboard or dashcam system shall be ensured that it does not impair the driver’s view of the road and outside the range or airbag deployment,” the bill states.

Those who will not comply with the proposal will be meted with a penalty of P50,000 and/or suspension of franchise. —KG, GMA News