The Land Transportation Office (LTO) yesterday urged vehicle owners to observe continuous preventive maintenance on their cars to avoid smokebelching violations and in turn, help clean the air.
LTO chief, Assistant Secretary Anneli Lontoc, said this is in reaction to LTO records showing that violations of the Clean Air Act continue to top traffic violations by motorists.
Records showed that smoke-belching apprehension was way ahead of the second most violated traffic law, the Seatbelt Use Act, despite efforts by government and non-government organizations (NGOs) to promote clean air.
Lontoc said in a recent interview that having a clean air to breath should be a joint effort of the agency and vehicle owners.
"We can be there on the road 24/7.
Pwede kaming manghuli ng manghuli pero kung yung ating mga kababayan na may-ari ng sasakyan ay indifferent, wala din. It’s a joint effort dapat," Lontoc said.
The LTO chief encouraged car owners to practice continuous preventive maintenance on their cars.
"Dapat din kasi continuous preventive maintenance kasi kung once a year ka lang mag-ayos ng sasakyan like during registration time, talagang mausok ka," Lontoc said.
Lontoc assured the LTO will double its efforts in its information awareness campaign about proper vehicle maintenance.
"
Dapat malaman ng mga tao na hindi nila dapat pinagtitipiran yung preventive maintenance na yan. Diyan tayo magkakaroon ng maitim at maduming hangin," Lontoc said.
She asked private emission testing centers (PETCs), which inspect private vehicles before they could be registered, to shape up and improve their work after some of them were found to be allegedly issuing certificates of emission tests in exchange for money.
A certificate of emission test is required by the LTO before a vehicle could be registered.
"There is still a lot of improvement that should be done on their part," Lontoc said.
Violators of Clean Air Act are fined
R1,062 for the first offense, R3,062 for the second offense, and R5,062 for the third offense as well as a one-year suspension of driver’s license. 
