Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SIXTEENTH (16™) CONGRESS
First Regular Session

1762

House Bill No.

Introduced by Hon. Joseph Gilbert F. Violago

EXPLANATORY NOTE

In 2010, The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that by 2030, road
accidents could be the fifth leading cause of death in the world, resulting in an estimated 24
million fatalities annually. According to WHO, at present, 1.2 million people die from road
accidents, 90 percent of these occurring in low-income and middle-income countries where 49
percent of motor vehicles in the world are registered. They predicted that by 2080, road fatalities
would beat the death toll of HIV-AIDS and tuberculosis.

Also in the same year, the Department of Health (DOH) reported that the leading
external causes of injuries were vehicular accidents contributing to 32.32% of all incidents, In
addition, a survey in Manila revealed that there are at least two (2) vehicles in a major highway
in the Philippines that gets involved in an accident every hour, or almost fifty (60) road
accidents occur everyday. A seemingly small number but quite alarming considering that 78
percent (78%) of the population rely on jeepneys, taxis, trains and tricycles for mobility. Also,
based on the data of the PNP-HPG and the MMDA, 44 percent of road accidents was caused by
overspeeding.

‘Two years ago, MMDA enforced a speed limit along the Commonwealth Avenue in
Quezon City. The 12.4-kilometer road was dubbed as the “killer highway" due to the large
number of road accidents along its stretch, According to the MMDA's Road Safety Unit, from
January to December 2010, 743 persons figured in road accidents along Commonwealth Avenue
accounting for 4.4 percent of total fatalities in Metro Manila.

Thus, in order to prevent or reduce injuries and death on all roads in the country, the
government should address the problems of over-speeding. This bill requires all public utility
vehicles (PUV s) to install speed limiters in order to restrict the top speed of their motor vehicle.
We believe that by requiring the mandatory speed limiters of all PUVs, as well as the
enforcement of appropriate speed limits in certain areas, the number of accidents caused by
overspeeding will be effectively reduced.

For these reasons, the approval of this bill is earnestly sought.
Vee
HON. JOSEPH F. VIOLAGO

Representative
254 District, Nueva Ecija


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SIXTEENTH (16"™) CONGRESS
First Regular Session

1762

House Bill No.

Introduced by Hon. Joseph Gilbert F. Violago

AN ACT
PROMOTING ROAD SAFETY BY REQUIRING THE MANDATORY INSTALLATION OF
SPEED LIMITERS IN ALL PUBLIC UTILITY VEHICLES AND THE ENFORCEMENT OF
CERTAIN SPEED LIMITS IN VARIOUS STREETS AND HIGHWAYS

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:
SECTION 1. Short Title. — This Act shall be known as the "Speed Limiters Act of 2013".

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - Itis the policy of the State to promote public safety in all
streets, highways and public thoroughfares. To this end, it shall be the policy of the State to
strictly enforce traffic rules and regulations, particularly the various speed limits imposed in
various streets, highways and public thoroughfares.

SEC. 3. Mandatory Speed Limiter in Public Utility Vehicles. - All public utility vehicles
(PUYs) currently in operation shall have speed limiters in accordance with the standards and
specifications by the Department of Transportation & Communications (DOTC).

SEC. 4. Setting the Speed Limiter. - The DOTC through its proper agency, shall supervise
and inspect the setting of a speed limiter to its respective speed limits, corresponding to the
maximum allowed in the route plied by a particular PUV.

SEC. 5. DOTC Accreditation. - The DOTC, in consultation with the University of the
Philippines National Center for Transport Studies, shall accredit firms or companies
manufacturing speed limiting devices. Only speed limiters locally produced and manufactured
by accredited firms or companies shall be allowed to be installed in PUVs.

SEC. 6. No Speed Limiter, No Registration Policy. - No PUV shalll be registered by the
Land Transportation Office (LTO) without the proper speed limiter installed and set.

SEC. 7. Penalties for Non-Installation of Speed Limiters in PUVs. - Both the driver and
operator and/or owner of the PUV who continues in their business of transporting passengers
without the required speed limiter shall suffer arresto mayor, the immediate cancellation of the
PUV's franchise and a fine of Fifty Thousand Pesos (P50,000.00).

SEC. 8. Tampering of Speed Limiter. - The tampering of speed limiters of any PUVs shall
be punished with prision correcional and a fine amounting to Fifty Thousand Pesos pesos
(60,000.00).

SEC. 9. Identification of Speed Limits in Streets and Highways. - The Department of
Transportation & Communications, in coordination with the Department of Interior & Local
Government and Metro Manila Development Authority, shall identify all the streets and


highways where appropriate speed limits shall be enforced covering all motor vehicles, These
shall include all streets and thoroughfares immediately adjacent and/or near schools, churches,
public parks, government offices, shopping malls and groceries, markets, cemeteries, public
‘transport terminals and other similar areas. The provisions pertaining to restrictions to vehicular
speed in Republic Act No. 4136, otherwise known as the Traffic Code, shall be applied
suppletorily in matters not covered by this bill and in areas not included by the DOTC, DILG
and MMDA.

SEC. 10. Implementing Rules and Regulations, - The DOTC, in coordination with the
LTO and the LTERB, shall formulate the necessary guidelines and promulgate rules and
regulations implementing the provisions of this Act.

SEC. 11. Appropriations. - Such sums as may be necessary for the immediate
implementation of the provisions of this Act is hereby authorized to be appropriated out from
the National Treasury not otherwise appropriated. Thereafter, funds for its implementation shall
be included in the regular appropriations of the DOTC, DILG and MMDA.

SEC. 12. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders or parts thereof
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified
accordingly.

SEC. 13. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is held invalid or
unconstitutional, other provisions not affected shall continue to be in full force and effect,

SEC. 14. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days from its publication
in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,