LTO banking on TRO lifting to address driver’s license shortage

The Land Transportation Office is now banking on the lifting of a Temporary Restraining Order imposed on the supposed delivery of 5.2 million plastic card licenses, and the government agency-to-agency procurement to address the possible shortage of issuance of plastic card driver’s licenses.

LTO Chief Assistant Secretary Vigor Mendoza in a press conference on Thursday said government printing offices (National Printing Office and APO) were already tapped and invited to submit quotations as an alternative mode of procurement to produce around 6 million driver’s licenses on top of 2.6 million backlog.

Mendoza said the agency only now has 270,000 as remaining stocks are estimated to be good only for two weeks.

Producing or manufacturing such requires a tedious process involving other agencies to make sure the license card is tamper-proof.

Mendoza cited the technical tests for the quality of the license card as well as security codes were just an example to which the Department of Science and Technology has to be consulted.

Mendoza said that based on their historical consumption, 550,000 licenses is the average demand per month.

“We all need to put these together plus the matter of delivery. We are anchoring to bring it (license cards) down to the people,” he said.

Mendoza wanted the delivery of licenses to be down to the barangay level, so drivers could no longer go to LTO offices which are far from them.

“That’s why we have this E-Patrol as our outreach program, to increase the compliance for licenses,” Mendoza explained.

LTO in 2023 has a target earning of P31 billion and has collected P29 billion while for this year, they have raised the target to P43 billion hoping to have those drivers without or unrenewed license to comply as well as unregistered vehicles.

However, the shortage of driver’s licenses surfaced when the losing bidder went to court and was able to get a TRO.

Mendoza said once the Department of Transportation agreed to the agency-to-agency procurement, another bidding will take place to address the lack of supply of plastic cards for drivers’ licenses.

Meanwhile, 4 million plastic cards donated by a private group also still hang as the Office of the Solicitor General wants to ensure that the donation is under existing laws.