Registration classification.
Section 7
SEC. 7. Registration classification.—Owners may make applications for registration of a motor vehicle under any one of the following described classifications. (a) Private passenger automobiles; (b) Private trucks; and (c) Private motorcycles or motor wheel attachments.— Motor vehicles registered under these classifications shall not be used "for hire" under any circumstances, and shall not solicit or accept passenger or freight for pay. (d) Public utility automobiles; (e) Public utility trucks; and (f) Taxis.—Applications for registration under these classifications must be accompanied by a certificate of public convenience or a special permit issued by the Public Service Commission, and motor vehicles registered under these classifications shall be subject to the public service laws, rules and regulations, as well as the provisions of this Act. (g) Garage automobiles; and (h) Garage trucks.—In order to secure registration under these classifications, not less than five such motor vehicles must be registered and maintained under one ownership. Motor vehicles so registered shall be kept in a privately owned garage, except when called or actually hired by a bona fide customer, and shall, under no circumstances, solicit or accept passengers or freight for pay while operating or standing on or along the public highways. Applications for registration under these classifications must be accompanied by a certificate of public convenience or a special permit issued by the Public Service Commission. (i) Hire trucks.—Motor vehicles registered under this classification shall be allowed to carry freight only. Laborers necessary to handle such freight, however, are allowed to ride on the truck. They may solicit and accept freight at any place, except within a radius of one hundred meters from any "competing public station" designated as such by the Public Service Commission: Provided, however, That a bona fide customer may engage a "hire truck" to haul and deliver definitely described shipments addressed to the customer when such shipments have been discharged at such stations by a public service vehicle, awaiting orders of the customer. Applications for registration under this classification must be accompanied by a certificate of public convenience or a special permit issued by the Public Service Commission. (j) Undertakers.—This is a separate designation of "hire truck" for motor hearses only. (k) Dealers.—Registration under this classification are intended to cover generally and successively all the motor vehicles imported or handled by the dealers for sale. Motor vehicles registered under the dealers' classification shall, under no circumstances be employed to carry passenger or freight in the dealers' business or for hire. They may be operated under this classification only for the purpose of transporting the vehicle itself from pier to warehouse or sales room or for delivery to an intending purchaser or for test or demonstration. (l) Government automobiles; (m) Government trucks; (n) Government motorcycles.—Motor vehicles owned or controlled by the Government of the United States of America, or the Government of the Philippine Islands, or any of its political subdivisions, shall be registered under these classifications. Motor vehicles owned by Government employees or by foreign governments are not considered Government motor vehicles. (o) Tourists bringing their own motor vehicles to the Islands may use the same during but not after the first ninety days of their sojourn, provided that the motor vehicle displays the number plates for current year of some other country or state, and provided further that said number plates with the name and address (permanent and temporary) of the owner thereof be registered in the Bureau of Public Works prior to the operation of the motor vehicle on any highway in these Islands. If such tourists remain in the Islands longer than ninety days, they shall be required to register their motor vehicles and to pay the corresponding registration fees. (p) Special.—The Director of Public Works may, in his discretion, allow the registration under this special classification of cases which do not conform to the foregoing described regular classifications.