DOTr, MMDA to regulate car tints in 2018
If your car, SUV, or pick-up has darker-than-usual tints, it might be time to think about getting them replaced.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is expected to release an order setting how dark your car window tints can be by the first quarter of 2018.
TINTED CAR WINDOWS. The DOTr seeks to regulate how much can be seen through your windows by the first quarter of 2018.
DOTr Undersecretary for Roads Tim Orbos said they were waiting for the final recommendation from their technical working group about what type of tint you can use.
In a report from the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Orbos said the measure was meant to address safety and security concerns as well as aid in their implementation of the high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane along EDSA.
EDSA. The MMDA plans to make the leftmost lane exclusive for carpooling, but they can’t see past heavily-tinted vehicles to properly identify violators of the policy./PHOTO Patrick Roque, grabbed from Wikimedia Commons
The scheme, which has been undergoing a dry-run since December 11, aims to promote carpooling among motorists who regularly go through EDSA. The dry-run has been extended until the first week of January 2018.
Also read: MMDA sets Dry Run for High Occupancy Vehicle Lane on December 11
During the first week of the dry-run, the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) saw 27,254 vehicles using the HOV lane. However, more than 50% (14,645) of those vehicles were heavily tinted, making it impossible for MMDA personnel to check if they complied with the two-occupant minimum imposed by the agency.
The MMDA previously tried to regulate car window tints in March of this year, though it was met with a lot of resistance from car owners because they thought the MMDA wanted to outlaw car tints.
The Land Transportation office has a decades-old memorandum regarding car tints that has been in place since 1978 but was never fully implemented due to contentions in court, according to a report from GMA News Online.
Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer, ABS-CBN News, GMA News Online, AutoDeal, TopGear Philippines
