Biazon calls for review of child car seat law’s IRR

MANILA, Philippines — A lawmaker has demanded a reevaluation of the child car seat law’s implementing rules and regulation (IRR) as the government proceeded to postpone its implementation for now.

Muntinlupa Rep. Ruffy Biazon asked the House committee on transportation to exercise its oversight function and review the IRR of Republic Act No. 11229, or the Child Safety in Motor Vehicles Act, which requires children to use child restraint systems (CRS) or child car seats that are appropriate for their age, height, and weight.

Biazon is a member of the said House committee.

“I support the initiative of the chair to have the implementation suspended but I also hope that the opportunity to review the IRR be taken while implementation is delayed,” Biazon said in a message to the committee on transportation chair Rep. Edgar Mary Sarmiento.

According to Biazon, it seems that there are certain provisions in the measure’s IRR that “go beyond the scope and authority of R.A. 11229 and also add to the confusion and apprehension about the law.”

One example, Biazon said, is Section 16 of the IRR, which deals with the establishment of the fitting station in all Land Transportation Office (LTO) regional and district offices.

The IRR provision was supposedly meant to effectively implement Section 8 of RA 11229, which mandates the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to formulate and implement a certification training program for product inspectors, law enforcers, manufacturers, distributors, and sellers on the regulation, installation, use, maintenance and inspection of child restraint systems.

“It is my belief that the establishment of fitting stations as contained in the IRR steps beyond the training program intended in Section 8. It is also vague as to the purpose of the fitting stations, with the question raised if motorists would need to have their units evaluated and approved by a fitting station,” Biazon said.

Further, Biazon said that the process of accrediting the fitting stations may also give rise to corruption due to the exercise of discretion by accreditors.

“The law does not mention the creation of fitting stations,” Biazon said.

Enacted in February 2019, the Child Safety in Motor Vehicle Act intends to provide added safety and prevent injuries and death to children passengers.

The law’s IRR was approved on December 23, 2019. The law was supposed to take effect on February 2.

However, the DOTr has postponed the full enforcement of the law during the coronavirus pandemic as it finalizes protocols for its enforcement.

READ: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1390989/dotr-full-implementation-of-child-car-seat-law-deferred-amid-covid-19