MANILA, Philippines — A law requiring private car owners to install special car seats for children will soon take effect after its Implementing Rules and Regulation was signed and up for publication, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) announced Tuesday.
In a Facebook post, DOTr posted a copy of the IRR for the Republic Act (RA) 11229 or Child Safety in Motor Vehicles Act, which was signed and approved by Transportation Assistant Secretary Edgar Galvante, chief of the Land Transportation Office.
The IRR will become effective 15 days after its publication in the Official Gazette.
The law requires vehicles to secure child restraint systems (CRS) for children aged below 12 years old.
Covered vehicles are those with “long-term lease contract between the rental company and lessee and exempted from securing franchise from the Land Transportation and Franchising Board (LTFRB).”
Also covered are private vehicles rented out for a fee and mandated to secure a franchise from the LTFRB.
The car seats must comply with the standards of the United Nations (UN) regulations set by the Department of Trade and Industry, read the IRR.
However, DOTr said the mandatory compliance of the CRS would be enforced after the IRR takes effect this February.
The DOTr noted that the delay on the mandatory compliance will pave way for the government’s “information education campaign on the law and preparation of concerned government agencies.”
CRS in public utility vehicles
The rules also task the DOTr with conducting a study to determine whether public utility vehicles (PUVs) should be required to use child car seats.
DOTr said PUVs include “jeepneys, buses, school buses, taxis, vans, coasters and other motor vehicles for public transport.”
If DOTr’s study shows that the use of CRS is not feasible for PUVs, DOTr will report to Congress its recommendations for the safety of children in PUVs.
/atm