Transport groups back RFID

SEVERAL transport groups have expressed support for the implementation by the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) and the Land Transportation Office (LTO) of the controversial Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Project.

In a seven-page urgent motion for intervention, the transport groups through their lawyer Donald Diaz, insisted that they have legal interest on the issue since they are directly affected by its implementation.

The intervenors include the Federation of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines,  Alliance of Transport Operators and Drivers Associations of the Philippines, Land Transportation Organization of the Philippines, NTU-Transporter, Pasang-Masda Nationwide Inc. and Alliance of Concerned Transport Organizations.

“The principal, if not sole, source of livelihood of all members of oppositor-intervenors is derived from driving or operating public-utility vehicles. Most of them are registered owners of public-utility vehicles who are required to register annually with the Land Transportation Office,” the transport groups said.

The intervenors claimed that their daily income will greatly increase with the implementation of the RFID tag program, as it will immediately diminish colorum operations.

They noted that out-of-line vehicles that have forged franchise document issued by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) and have fake yellow license plates attached to the vehicle, thus making it difficult for the traffic enforcer to spot such colorum vehicles.

With the RFID Tag Program, the intervenors said, RFID readers will be able to detect a colorum vehicle even if it is moving at the speed of over 100 kilometers per hour and is located many meters away.

The transport groups said contrary to claims by critics, the RFID Program is beneficial to them, as it will also simplify and speed up the registration process.

“With this, public-utility vehicle owners need not spend thousands of pesos in traveling to the LTFRB regional offices to have their vehicles confirmed, and then travel back to their home provinces, cities or municipalities to register the same vehicle in the LTO district offices. With the RFID tag, both the entire LTFRB confirmation and LTO registration processes can be done under one roof, either in the nearest LTO or LTFRB office at the preference of the vehicle owners,” the intervenors said.

The transport groups added that the implementation of RFID Program will promote clean air, as vehicle owners will be obliged to bring their vehicles for smoke-emission testing as the subject’s vehicle has to be read by the handheld reader operated by the smoke-emission tester for proper motor vehicle identification.

“The RFID tag is not the end to everything but merely the starting point to what has to be done. Front- line processes will have to change, and LTO-LTFRB full date interconnectivity will have to be implemented,” the intervenors added.

Earlier, Party-list Reps. Satur Ocampo and Teodoro Casiño of Bayan Muna, Joel Maglungsod of Anakpawis, Liza Maza of Gabriela, and Pinagisang Samahan ng Tsuper at Operator Nationwide asked the Court to declare null and void for being unconstitutional the RFID Project, which is now being implemented by the DOTC and the LTO.