Mandatory installation of a speed limiter in public utility vehicles

Dear PAO,

My husband and I are regular commuters. We travel daily from Silang, Cavite to Manila City. We take different kinds of public vehicles to get from one place to another. We have noticed that there are times that we fear for our lives as the drivers are like Formula 1 drivers, even if they are not at the Skyway, their speedometer reads 80 to 100kph in barangay roads. Is there any law that mandates trucks, buses, and public utility vehicles (PUVs) to have a speed limiter?

Kym

Dear Kym,

Please be informed of Section 4 of Republic Act 10916, otherwise known as the «Road Speed Limiter Act of 2016,» which states that:

«Section 4. Mandatory Installation of Speed Limiter. — No covered vehicle, following the effectivity of this Act, shall be allowed to run in any road, street or highway in the Philippines without a standard speed limiter in accordance with the standards and specifications approved by the DOTC; Provided, That in case of vehicles which are already registered with any appropriate agency, this requirement shall be complied with not later than eighteen (18) months from the effectivity of this Act.»

«Section 3 (b) of the same law then provides that „covered vehicle refers to any closed van, hauler or cargo trailer, PUV, shuttle service, or tanker truck as defined under this section and such other vehicles as may hereinafter be determined and included by the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) for the purpose of applying the provisions of this Act; excluding taxicabs, and public utility jeepneys (PUJs), without prejudice to the review by the DOTC after one (1) year on the necessity of their inclusion in the coverage of this Act.“

Based on the above-stated law, public utility vehicles or common carriers, with the exception of taxicabs and PUJs, duly registered with the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and granted a franchise by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) shall not be allowed to run on any road, street, or highway in the Philippines without a standard speed limiter.

Thus, there is actually a law prescribing speed limiters for certain types of PUVs. If the law is violated, penal liability will attach to