8:15 AM
We were told to enter the EDU hall and sign the attendance sheet. I finished my drink and disposed of the cup. I immediately got my documents out in preparation for the review which we anxiously waited for the start of the show. While waiting, the guy at the pc, played a movie for everyone to see. I believe it was 2 Fast 2 Furious.
9:40 AM
After almost two hours of waiting, Suansing and Daisy Jacobo walked in the hall with Congressman Teves from Dumaguete. They immediately went to business and started the review. As per MS. Jacobo, they already have the results of their technical working group from the LTO. So we patiently watched for them to start the presentation.
As the presenter read the topics on their study, I then realized that a lot of what she said was within the document we sent over to DOTC and Suansing last September 22. Did they use the document? I guess I will never know however, a part of me thinks that the documents were actually considered. Due to the similarities in what was being shown to us, I felt a lot more secured and hopeful since they actually considered our work and used it as a basis for their summary of September 10's workshop.
First on the Agenda was the 2 license plates. The presentation prepared showed that the provisions in making the plate was too much for the LTO to handle and that the manufacturers really have no set design or standard as to the placement of a plate in front. Also, no-one was willing to shoulder it's cost. After a few reactions from the other people in the meeting, It was then stressed that the proposal wasn't created by the LTO rather, it was the PNP who wanted the provision. The verdict was, and direct from ASEC Suansing was, they will not implement nor even endorse the proposal. A warm round of applause was given out for the announcement.
We then moved on to the AO. The first hit was the the term “Rider” was established and that it had to replace the “driver” which was put on the AO. The next agenda was to change the Accessories like the headlight, break light, horn and side mirrors should be tagged as Standard equipment/parts needed for a motorcycle. With that said, It was agreed upon and will be corrected on the submission of another AO that amends the AHS-2008-015.
Next up was the issue regarding pillions on bikes or for lack of a better term, the passengers. Congressman Teves strongly opposed the bannig of habal habal on the roads of Visayas and Mindanao. He told the LTO that the people who operate Habal Habal motorcycles should be allowed to carry 2 of mored jackets while driving within their municipality and to dis allow them on national highways. This will be under further studies until a decision is made.
Now, we focused on the helmets. It was discussed that the need for everybody to wear helmets is a must. When Ms. Jacobo called on the representative of DTI to explain their position, they mentioned that by November 1, will start the total ban of helmets that do not , they will start going around stores to see if the helmets are upon standard. Although they cannot apprehend people on the streets, the DTI told everybody that they have decided to use ECE 22.05 as the Philippines standard helmet. However, since visiayas and mindanao is not aware of this and the availability of the helmet is weak, it was decided upon that for now, while DTI and LTO has not drawn a consensus on the helmets, Any helmet that has the 4 complete parts should be allowed but only until 2013. These parts are the outer shell (Polycarbon, Fiberglass or plastic.), the inner core which is primarily made with Styrofoam, the lining or paddings and the strap. These components should be available in all helmets that will be allowed for the mean time. So for now, what is not allowed are the baseball hat helmets, Construction helmets, “Kaldero” types and bicycle helmets as these are not intended for us on the streets. So now, the mandatory helmet law shall remain but only based on what was agreed upon. You must wear you helmets all the time to avoid being harrassed by “NEEDY” policemen or enforcers. This will be irregardless of it's manufacturer or standard rating.
As for the other protective devices, We talked about the shoes of rider. It has been agreed upon that the LTO will come out with a resolution as to what the the shoes cover. As long as you use “closed toe” shoes, you should be ok. To simplify, No Helmet and No Shoes will be subject to apprehensions. As for jackets and pants, there will be no provision to make them into a regulated issue. So, the AO that covers protective devices shall be suspended on the areas of jackets, pants and rain gear. The mandatory helmet and shoes shall be observed on a national level. In 5 years, everybody needs to change their helmets into the right standard that LTO will recommend.
During the conversations, Macky Carapiet of NAMSSA played a major role in explaining about the different standards and how the LTO should allow the readily available helmets for street use so that we can ensure the use of the devices and until the time set by the LTO which is in 5 years. Thank you Macky for your help on this one!!!
The following topic was also crucial since a lot of people will be affected. For cargo and luggage carriers again, Macky Carapiet played a major role by providing info as to the dimensions allowed on the motorcycles. During the defense of Jake on the issue, It was established that the apprehending officers has no means on how to measure the weight of the cargo on the motorcycle. So, as long as the dimensions do not go beyond 2 feet from the side of the motorcycle and do not go beyond the top of the head of a rider in a sitting position, this shall be allowed for now. So the Carriage and Saddle Bag provisions is suspended.
And now, for the crucial part of the entire review. It has already been established that the RA 4136 is the main source of information that we used and we got several excerpts for famous riders here and abroad. The modification on a motorcycle. A lot of people shared their opinions on this and it was agreed upon that the inspection will be done during registration but the enforcers will have the right to apprehend based on the following criteria only: Headlight, stop/brake lights, signal light, horn and rear view mirrors. All the items mentioned shall be based on whether it works or not and it follows the provisions stated on RA 4136.
These are the basic guidelines based on the comments and suggestions from the community as well as the MRO's stand:
Tires
— Motorcycle tires meant for road use
— No competition tires (Slicks)
Excerpts:
— As per RA 4136, Article IV, Section 34, Letter (A): Tires of motor vehicles. - No motor vehicle with metallic tires shall be operated upon any public highway, and solid tires whenever used shall be of sufficient thickness to prevent the metal rims thereof from coming in direct contact with the road.
Brakes
— Brake Rotors
— Caliper
— Drum Brakes
— Hydraulic brake hose
— Brake levers
— Brake master cylinders
— Every component must work properly and must be free from leaks, loss of pressure and all the cables and hoses should be properly installed and be free from damage or interference.
Horns
— Should not be sirens or make equivalent tones used by emergency vehicles
Excerpts:
— As per RA 4136, Article IV, Section 34, Letter (B-1): Every motor vehicle shall be provided with a horn or signalling devise in good working order: Provided, however, That no horn or signalling device emitting an exceptionally loud, startling, or disagreeable sound shall be installed or used on any motor vehicle.
— All authorized emergency vehicles, such as ambulance and police cars and fire wagons used for emergency calls shall be equipped with a bell, siren, or exhaust whistle of a type approved by the Commissioner, and no such device shall be installed or used in any other vehicle.
Lights or Lamps
— Lights (head, brake, license plate light, auxiliary lights, signal lights)
— Headlights
— Front lights can only be white or yellowish in color
— Low beam should be adjusted so that it doesn’t create glare to other road users
— Front lights should be angled properly
— The headlamp assembly should have the ability to properly diffuse the light beam in a way that doesn’t cause glare for other road users. Granted that there are bikes that use HID conversion kits in assemblies not meant for use with an HID system, they can create unnecessary glare for other road users. The conversion must not create unnecessary glare on low or high beam
— This might be a viable compromise for HID conversion kits, which could allow them to be used with the motorcycles. A study of stock headlamps might be useful for determining this.
— Brake lights
— Tail and brake lights should be red
— Should be clearly visible from 50 meters or 164 feet away
— Taillights or license plate lights
— Should illuminate the plates at night
— Auxiliary lights
— As long as it does not create glare to other road users.
— The use of auxiliary lights of motorcycles is questionable, but you could view the installation of auxiliary lights like this; since motorcycles are difficult to spot in the daytime, it can be safely assumed that they are harder to spot at night and auxiliary lights assist in making them easier to notice. An important guideline can be put in a way that they should not create conflicting messages when used with the tail light, brake light, signal lights.
Excerpts:
— As per RA 4136, Article IV, Section 34, Letter (F): Motorcycle and other vehicle lights. - Every motor vehicle of less than one meter of projected width shall be subject to the preceding provisions of this section, except that one headlight and one taillight shall be required. No signal light shall be necessary.
— Additional lamps may be carried provided they comply with the preceding provisions of this section.
— Every motor vehicle, or whatever style, kind, make, character, or nature, when upon a highway during the hours above-mentioned, whether in motion or not, shall have one or more lights so arranged that the same shall be visible at least fifty meters from the front and the rear of such vehicle.
Mufflers
— We should establish an acceptable limit to the sound emitted by the mufflers.
— This requires further study and must be taken up with the proper agency governing emissions on vehicles.
Excerpts:
— As per RA 4136, Article IV, Section (J): Mufflers. - Every motor vehicle propelled by an internal combustion engine shall be equipped with a muffler, and whenever said motor vehicle passes through a street of any city, municipality, or thickly populated district or barrio, the muffler shall not be cut out or disconnected. No motor vehicle shall be operated in such a manner as to cause it to emit or make any unnecessary or disagreeable odour, smoke or noise.
Licence plates
— Should be mounted at the tail section of the motorcycle.
— Should be illuminated at night.
— Should not have any thing on top of it that may distort, create glare when hit by a light source and a reflection when looking at it in an angle.
Excerpts:
— As per RA 4136, Article III, Section 18: Section 18. Use of number plates. - At all times, every motor vehicle shall display in conspicuous places, one in front and one in the rear thereof, the said number plates.
— The number plates shall be kept clean and cared for, and shall be firmly affixed to the motor vehicle in such a manner as will make it entirely visible and always legible.
Freight, cargo, carriages and saddles
— Should be unregulated as long as the cargo weight, location, stability and dimension complies with the carrying capacity of the motorcycle
Excerpts:
— As per the Vienna Convention for Road Traffic, Article 30, Section 1: If a permissible maximum mass is laid down for a vehicle, the laden mass of the vehicle shall never exceed the permissible maximum mass.
— As per RA 4136, Article III, Section 32: Exceeding registered capacity. - No person operating any vehicle shall allow more passengers or more freight or cargo in his vehicle than its registered carrying capacity.
— As per RA 4136, Article II, Section 10, Letter B: To operate a motor vehicle with any part of the load extending beyond the projected width of the vehicle.
Side view mirrors
— Two mirrors are required that is mounted on each handlebar and must be effective in providing the rider with a view of the vehicles behind him.
Suspension (front fork/rear shocks)
— A common reason why suspension is changed or modified is to improve the handling and manoeuvrability of the motorcycle. It helps the rider in terms of comfort and stability on the road. It also gives certain bikes the look that the rider is after. And there are cases that suspension is changed to fit the use of the bike.
— Adjustment of the suspension is also made to accommodate riders who are vertically challenged.
Stereo
— Should be operated at an acceptable level/volume only.
— There are motorcycles that came out of the manufacturers with stereo systems already installed.
The following items have been subjected to scrutiny but have no viable data and statistics to say that there are known adverse effects to handling and safety. They are usually aesthetic in nature. Some have been known to improve the way the bikes perform.
— Rear sets
— Adjusts the weight distribution of the motorcycle to make it more manoeuvrable in turning.
— Increases ground clearance.
— Clip ons/handlebars
— Helps in steering the motorcycle.
— We have not heard the reasons as to why clip ons are dangerous.
— Swing arm
— Specifically, what modifications on swing arms make it dangerous?
— Rims/alloy wheels
— Changing the material improves the strength of the wheel in general.
— Widening the wheels allow the use of tires with superior construction and compounds.
— The lighter materials used in the construction of the wheels or rims reduce un-sprung weight making it easier to steer the motorcycle and improve fuel economy.
— Fender eliminators
— Does nothing to affect the safety and handling of a motorcycle.
— Seats and seat covers
— This is purely aesthetic. No effect whatsoever.
— Instrument panel
— How does this affect safety and handling?
So basically, the above document was considered by the LTO. In fact, even Ms Jacobo herself wants a copy of the said document. Initially, this is the framework of our previous presentation that we worked on to enhance some more. After establishing that creating the proper guidelines and itemized list of components that will be deemed illegal for public road use will take more study and time, The people requested that the regulation on modifications be suspended. This was agreed upon by ASEC Suansing and the crowd cheered and clapped upon hearing all this.
Near the end of the meeting, Ms Jacobo enumerated the following for action, an issuance of a memoratorium or an amended AO effective immediately to suspend the following:
The suspension and non-endorsement of the second plate.
Allowing the Habal Habal to operate in provinces given that they do not cross national highways between towns.
Allowing more than one passenger as long as the volume of vehicles in that town is at an acceptable volume. Traversing between towns will not be allowed for more than 1 passengers.
The suspension of the regulation of the standard in helmets. Although made mandatory, as long as the helmet being used is specific for motorcycles.
The suspension on the regulation on apparel until they come up with a provision for the required shoes for riding.
The suspension on the ruling on carrying cargo. The current suggestion is to allow people to carry cargo based on weight, volume, stability and the location of the cargo.
The suspension of the regulation on modifications pending further review and study with the LTO and the Manufacturers.
We are trying to become part of number 7 so that we can give them insights and suggestions before they pass their recommendations to ensure that our opinions are taken in.
At the end of the day, all groups converged and acted as one to give out their recommendations for the amendment of the AO in question. We are happy to have been welcomed and our proposals considered by all the concerned parties. In this meeting, we showed the LTO that we are all after the same goals.
We had a few photo ops with Congressman Teves and ASEC Suansing before we packed up. During the photo op with the Congressman, we established communications with him and will continue to work with him from here on in. He has acknowledged our group and has given me his assurance that they will be in touch when they create the proposal to amend RA 4136.
All in all, it was a good day for all and it was extremely satisfactory. Although we still have a very long way to go and more meetings to attend, at least we have established the direction that we all want to go towards to.
I wish to thank everybody who pitched in during the review and the camaraderie shown by the different groups.
To the people in the forums with their comments and suggestions, the credit belongs to you for helping and supporting us every step of the way. Now that the document that the MRO made is in their hands, we hope to be able to secure a good and harmonious working relationship with the LTO to prevent things like this from happening again.
Thank you to the people if the LTO for giving us another chance and for listening and considering our recommendations.
Thank you Congressman Teves for being there during the review and for strongly voicing out your concern.
Thank you MCPF for being there and for supporting the cause.
Thank you Bikes and channel 7 for a comprehensive and objective report on the event that just transpired.
Thank you MCP for being the bridge to each and every rider out there.
Thank you to the people who worked with us in getting this done.
Thank you to all who have shown support to MRO.
Thank you GOD for blessing us and protecting us during this trying and tiring times.
This is only the foot of the mountain. We have yet to get to the summit. MRO will take you there!
God bless us all! We will prevail!
Source:
http://www.mrophilippines.com/
LTO opens it's doors and finally listens... The September 30 detailed report by MRO
Originally Posted by YJOB
suspended man
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