‘Standard helmet’ implementation moved

THE Land Transportation Office (LTO) in Dumaguete City has moved the implementation of the Helmet Law to January 2013 instead of August 2012.

LTO District chief Roland Ramos said the implementation of the law will be moved following the request of Governor Roel Degamo and
Mayor Manuel Sagarbarria.

Governor Degamo and Mayor Sagarbarria confirmed that they earlier requested the LTO district chief to defer the implementation of helmet law because of several issues to be solved.

Degamo said the LTO and the Philippine National Police (PNP) are still not ready for the full implementation of the law in the absence of citation tickets and other equipment.

Sagarbarria likewise said that Dumaguete City is running out of helmet stocks.

He estimated that only around 20 percent of the whole population of motorcycle riding public owned standard helmets.

LTO Dumaguete records show that there are 23,000 registered motorcycles in the Dumaguete District covering Dumaguete City and the towns of Dauin, Bacong, Valencia, Sibulan, San Jose and Amlan.

The Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) earlier moved the implementation of the helmet law nationwide following the request of motorcycle riders from Metro Manila.

However, Ramos clarified that the order issued by DOTC Secretary Mar Roxas is just to extend the implementation of standard helmet but not to postpone the implementation of the helmet law.

He said Republic Act 10054 or “the mandatory wearing of helmet act of
2009” will still be implemented starting August 1 but without strictly implementing the use of ‘standard helmets’.

A standard helmet is determined by a sticker marked with an import commodity clearance (ICC), said Ramos.

He explained that in the implementation of helmet law in August, any helmet will be accepted.