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6 senators ask LTO to defer implementation of Child Safety in Motor Vehicles Act
By JULIA MARI ORNEDO,GMA NewsSix senators on Tuesday urged the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and Department of Transportation to defer the implementation of the Child Safety in Motor Vehicles Act “until necessary guidelines are put in place and agency mandates are fulfilled.”
In Senate Resolution No. 633, Senators Grace Poe, Sonny Angara, Juan Miguel Zubiri, Joel Villanueva, Sherwin Gatchalian and Nancy Binay said the announcement that the law would be implemented starting February 2 took many Filipinos by surprise.
Republic Act 11229, signed into law by President Rodrigo Duterte last year, mandates
children 12 years and younger to be seated in a child restraint system and prohibits those shorter than 4’11” from taking the front seat in private vehicles.The senators noted that the law was met with “concern and confusion” from the public who had several questions about car seats, including how these will be certified by LTO, which brands meet government standards, and where these will be fitted.
They also pointed out that many Filipinos could not yet afford car seats that cost P3,000 to P60,000 each due to financial constraints brought by the coronavirus pandemic.
“It is only justified that the implementation of this law be deferred not only to allow Filipinos to recover and prepare but also for our government agencies to fulfill what is mandated under the law,” the senators said.
The resolution stated that government agencies must first fulfill the following:
“For LTO to sufficiently inform the public about the requirements or Republic Act No. 11229 and its IRR;
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For LTO to issue guidelines for the certification of child car seats acquired prior to the effectivity of the law;
For DTI (Department of Trade and Industry) to issue a list of compliant and/or certified brands and models; and
For LTO to establish and accredit fitting stations.”
“Even if the law is well-intentioned, it is understandable that Filipinos would be apprehensive about the implementation of this measure especially since the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the various community quarantines are still being felt by majority of Filipinos,” they said.
Senator Joel Villanueva added that the implementation of the law can be deferred since children are prohibited from leaving their homes for non-essential purposes amid the pandemic.
“Wala po tayong nakikitang urgency sa panahon natin ngayon dahil bawal pa po lumabas ang ating mga bata ngayong panahon ng quarantine. Ang mungkahi po natin sa LTO, pulungin muli ang mga eksperto at pag-aralan ang IRR, na may layuning siguraduhin ang kaligtasan ng ating kabataan nang hindi mabigat sa bulsa ng kanilang magulang,” he said.
The LTO earlier clarified that it would not apprehend any violators of the law for the next six months as it focuses on an information drive.—LDF, GMA News