LTO-7 eyes zero-backlog in issuance of driver’s plastic licenses

OFFSITE PRINTING OFFICES IN 2 MALLS

LAND Transportation Office (LTO) in Region 7 expects attain zero-backlog in the issuance of driver’s plastic license in six to seven months with the opening of more temporary offsite printing office (TOPO).

LTO Regional Director Victor Caindec said the additional TOPOs have helped address the hundreds of thousands of backlog in the region’s driver’s plastic license.

When Caindec took over LTO 7 in January, the region already had a backlog of more or less 470,000 driver’s licenses.

However, this figure has been reduced to around 225,969 in mid-November.

At the time, all LTO offices in the region were able to issue from 6,000 to 7,000 a month.

With the opening of two more TOPOs, “we now estimate that LTO 7 can issue 45,000 driver’s licenses every month,” Caindec pointed out.

Another one has been set up at the city wing of SM Seaside City while Robinsons Galleria in the North Reclamation Area now has one TOPO.

With the opening of two more TOPOs, LTO 7 now has four TOPOs. These include the one located at the sea view wing of SM Seaside City and the one at Alturas Mall in Tagbilaran City.

Aside from the TOPOs, LTO 7 also has two mega licensing centers located at SM Seaside City and Island Center Mactan mall in Lapu-Lapu City.

The mega licensing centers accepts applications for new licenses, renewal and student permits as well as print driver’s licenses.

Those who applied for a new license or for renewal at Robinson’s can just board the bus bound for Robinson’s Galleria where they can go directly to the priority lane.

The same privilege is also given to those who renewed or applied for new license at SM City Cebu.

They can go directly to the TOPO at SM Seaside City where they are also given a priority lane.

With the numerous complaints against LTO with regards to the issuance of driver’s license, Caindec admitted he had to come up with a measure that would address the problem, given the limited resources and capability of the regional office.

While other LTO regional offices have set up their own TOPOs, only region 7 has actively sought partnership with the private sector.

Since the concept of TOPO has been implemented in Metro Manila, he decided to adopt the concept and negotiated with the management of shopping malls in Cebu and other areas to convince them to provide spaces for TOPOs.

Caindec stressed that the mega licensing centers and TOPOs have been established at no cost to LTO.