Car plate backlog over soon

The car plate woes of the country’s motorists would soon be over, according to Land Transportation Office (LTO) chief, Assistant Secretary Edgar Galvante.

Before the end of the year, we expect to provide all the license plates of vehicles registered from 1 July 2016 onwards

In an interview with the Daily Tribune’s “Straight Talk” program, Galvante said before the end of the year, the LTO would have wiped out the backlog on vehicle license plates from 1 July 2016 up to this year, at least in Metro Manila.

“At least in Metro Manila, before the end of the year, we expect to provide all the license plates of vehicles registered from 1 July 2016 onwards,” Galvante said. He noted it was only on 5 July 2018 when the LTO began delivering vehicle plates to car owners.

“Presently what we are manufacturing are plates for vehicles registered from July 2016 up to March 2018,” Galvante said.

It would be recalled that in late 2017, Transportation Secretary Arturo Tugade authorized the production and purchase of equipment to manufacture license plates. This contract was won by a joint venture of Trojan Computer Forms Manufacturing Corporation and JH Tonnjes E.A.S.T. GmbH.

The German-backed manufacturer would initially produce the new license plates locally with imported materials and turn over the modern plate making equipment to LTO at the end of the contract.

According to Galvante, President Rodrigo Duterte told them he wanted new cars being sold to have vehicle plates. In accordance with that directive, Galvante said the LTO began producing additional car plates starting 1 October 2018.

“Since 1 October 2018 we started producing additional vehicle plates for Metro Manila, Region 3 and Region 4-A for vehicles registered from that date up to January 2019. Starting 1 October 2018 all new vehicles sold by participating dealers all have their plates,” Galvante pointed out.

He said there could be delays in the delivery of car plates in some regions of the country due to logistical problems. “That’s because of the turnaround time. We can make the plate overnight but we still have to distribute it,” he said.

The only remaining backlog, according to Galvante, is the period between April 2018 and December 2018 but he said he is confident they can close whatever remaining gap in the backlog of vehicle plates soon.

“I am positive we can meet our target to cover all vehicles by 2019 because a new automated (plate-making) machine has arrived and it would definitely increase the production of new car plates,” Galvante said.

However, Galvante noted that while there is some progress in the resolution of vehicle plate backlog for vehicles registered from 2013 up to 30 June 2016, it may still take some time to address the issue.