Senator Francis Tolentino prodded the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to cancel the certificate of registration (CR) of vehicles if their owners failed to claim license plates to cut backlogs of plate distribution nationwide.
The senator conveyed the suggestion to LTO Chief Assistant Secretary Vigor Mendoza Jr. on his radio over the weekend.
The LTO official disclosed that over 1.8 million license plates remain unclaimed, of which, 600,000 plates are mostly in Cebu.
At the same time, Mendoza reported over his weekend radio program that about 14 million license plates still needed to be printed, the bulk of which comprised plates for motorcycles, even as the production of these plates was bidded out and their delivery expected within the next 20 months.
He expects that within 2023, about a million plates would already be delivered to the LTO.
In turn, Tolentino asked Mendoza about how the LTO handles the proliferation of plate printing by private individuals given the available technology at present in the midst of the unavailability of license plates for motor vehicles.
“Papano natin ito mako-curtail, papano natin ito mahaharang…dapat LTO na lang talaga. Siguro naiinip na ‘yong iba sa tagal ng plaka sa paglalabas, gumawa na lang ng sariling plaka,” the lawmaker noted.
Mendoza assured that they will distribute within 60 days the 1.8 million unclaimed plates, and once these unclaimed plates are distributed, he figured out there is no need for motorists to print their own improvised license plates.
He added that the LTO would disseminate the information on unclaimed plates and give owners sufficient time to claim them. After that, implementation of proper acquisition of license plates will be strictly implemented.
Image credits: Nonoy Lacza
