Suspend implementation of child car seat law for at least a year — solon

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Land Transportation Office (LTO) should suspend the implementing rules and regulation (IRR) of the child car seat law for at least one year, ACT-CIS Partylist Rep. Jocelyn Tulfo said Thursday.

Tulfo, a member of the House committee on social services, said “it is quite clear that the DOTR and LTO did not perform all the due diligence necessary” before issuing the IRR of Republic Act No. 11229 or the Child Safety in Motor Vehicles Act.

The law requires children to use child restraint systems (CRS) or child car seats that are appropriate for their age, height, and weight.

“My suggestion is to suspend the IRR not just for three to six months. DOTR and LTO should suspend the IRR for at least one year or until months after we are no longer under a state of national public health emergency,” Tulfo said in a statement.

“Did they conduct public hearings prior to approval of the IRR? Apparently, they did not. The Administrative Code of 1987 requires the executive branches of government to conduct public hearings in their exercise of the rule-making powers,” the lawmaker added.

The law’s IRR was approved on December 23, 2019, and was supposed to take effect on February 2 but confusion surfaced over the protocols set in the law. Aside from this, there were also complaints from motorists regarding additional costs for CRS especially amid the pandemic.

Tulfo, however, said that the DOTr and LTO can still suspend and amend the law’s IRR using their rule-making powers.

“Before they implement that, they should amend the IRR taking into consideration the comments regarding the coverage of who is mandated to use the car seat,” Tulfo said.

“Like, ang pangit ng standard na 12 and below or below 4’11 kasi it doesn’t take into consideration the actual size of the car seat as opposed to the person,” she added.

Further, Tulfo said the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) likewise failed to anticipate how sellers of child restraint seats “would take advantage of the situation and boost their prices citing market demand.”

“There should have been price controls put in place before they implement so that price gouging would be averted,” Tulfo said.

House committee on transportation chairperson Samar 1st District Rep. Edgar Mary Sarmiento earlier said a hearing on the issues is set on February 10, Wednesday.

Sarmiento said the hearing will look into the implementation of the child car seat law and the operation of Private Motor Vehicle Inspection Centers (PMVICs).

Meanwhile, the DOTr earlier said they will postpone the full implementation of the law during the coronavirus pandemic as it finalizes enforcement protocols for the law.

EDV