House Bill 1630 was recently filed in the Congress, seeking to amend Republic Act. No 8505 which prohibits right-hand drive (RHD) vehicles in the Philippines.
The said bill was filed by Congressman Jose Ch. Alvarez. According to him, only three (3) out of the ten (10) ASEAN countries are still using left-hand drive (LDH) vehicles. This is why he is hoping that, with this bill, the Philippines will join the majority of the ASEAN countries.
For that, the bill seeks to amend Republic Act No. 8506, which prohibits the registration and operation of vehicles with right-hand drive steering wheel in any private or public street, road, or highway in the Philippines.
The bill will also bring growth to the local transport businesses as it will allow individuals to bring in right-hand drive vehicles from other ASEAN countries without paying too much taxes and duties.
Lastly, the bill will allow foreigners to enter the Philippines via “Ro-Ro.” The bill has already named some ports in Palawan and Mindanao as the official gateways, although other ports may soon be recognized by the Department of Transportation (DOTr). In line with this, the bill states that the rules and regulations regarding passports and visas will be observed.
