The fastest you can drive on Philippine public roads is 100kph. You can do those speeds along major expressways, and if you still want to go faster, you have to take it to the race track. However, a member of congress wants to raise that speed limit to 140kph.
Ilocos Sur Representative Ronald V. Singson filed House Bill (HB) No. 4089 in a bit to raise the country’s speed limit along expressways. It is also known as “An act providing for the definition of expressway and setting a speed limit for such highway all over the country, amending for the purpose Republic Act No. 4136, as amended, otherwise known as the "Land Transportation and Traffic Code". It’s quite a mouthful, so we’ll stick to HB 4089.
OTHER STORIES YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED:
Report: There’s a chance the next-gen Isuzu D-Max could get an EV version
The Lexus LBX will be the Toyota Yaris Cross’ posh cousin
First and foremost, the expressway in this context is defined as a ‘controlled-access highway’. That means roads such as EDSA and C5, while called highways, are not covered by this bill. What this bill refers to are highways such as NLEX, SLEX, and SCTEX.
Mind you, this isn’t the first time a motion to raise the national speed limit. Back in 2013, it was proposed that the limit be raised to 130kph for cars and motorcycles and 110kph for trucks and buses. As mentioned, the new proposal raises it to 140kph for cars and 120kph for trucks and buses.
So, why the need to amend the limit? In his explanatory note, Singson explains, “Republic Act No. 4136 does not include in its classification the class of controlled access highways or expressways. Thus, the allowable speed limit for such class of roads is not specified. Moreover, the law applies to vintage vehicles which lack safety features that modern vehicles now have. Therefore, the said law is desperately out of date and needs revising.”
Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean all expressways should have a speed limit of 140kph. The maximum allowable speed will still depend on the road’s condition, grade, and engineering. Also, it’s not a blanket limit of 140kph. Per the bill:
- Local government units may increase or decrease the speed limits on highways under their jurisdiction;
- The Department of Transportation may establish a safe maximum speed limit on any bridge or elevated structure;
- The Department of Transportation may increase or decrease the maximum speed limit on highways outside of urban areas; and,
- The Department of Transportation, based on the recommendations of the Toll Regulatory Board and the operators of the expressways, may establish safe speed limits on various segments of an expressway, especially on narrow and winding portions.
The matter is still being discussed in congress, but the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) and the Land Transportation Office (LTO) have expressed their support for the bill. However, both agencies would like the proposal to be studied further to see if it is viable in the local setting.
