Fariñas seeks probe on city’s smoke emission tests

VICE Mayor Daniel Fariñas recently called for a probe on the consistency of random roadside emission tests conducted by the City Government citing numerous complaints from city motorists.

Fariñas, in an interview on Monday, said he will pass a resolution before the City Council asking for a fact-finding investigation to pinpoint defective emission testing machines.

He said public and private motorists are complaining of failing the random roadside emission tests conducted by the City Environment and Parks Management Office’s Roadside Inspection Testing and Monitoring Team even after passing tests conducted by private emission testing centers (PETCs).

“In the resolution, we are asking for a reassessment or evaluation of these machines and find out which of these machines are reliable or questionable,” he said.

He lamented how motorists have to pay PETCs only to fail the random tests of the city as part of the implementation of its clean air ordinance.

“We have to find if these PETCs passed standards. We are defrauding people in millions if they have not,” he said.

He said results of government emission tests and private emission tests must be reconciled in order to effectively implement anti-smoke belching ordinances.

He said they will tap experts to identify which machines are effective and reliable during smoke emission tests.

Mayor Mauricio Domogan reiterated he has no hand in the conduct of emission tests as this is integral to the implementation of the clean air ordinance.

He also denied allegations of gaining profits from these tests citing it is monitored by various agencies including the Department Transportation and Communication, Technical Education Skills Development Authority, Department of Trade Industry, DENR-Environmental Managemnt Burea among other agencies.

Motorists who fail random emission tests conducted by the city are fined with P1,000 for the first offense, P2,000 for second offense and P3,000 with retesting for succeeding violations.