IRR for more readable motorcycle plates released

Motorcycles will soon have bigger, readable, color-coded plates. This developed after the Land Transportation Office submitted the implementing rules and regulations for the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act. |CDN file photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Motorcycles will soon be run with bigger, readable, and color-coded plates as the Land Transportation Office (LTO) releases the implementing rules and regulations for the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act.

The IRR was submitted to the University of the Philippines (UP) Law Center last May 19, 2020.

Under the IRR, the LTO will issue a “bigger, readable, and color-coded” number plate for every motorcycle which will consist of a metal plate that will be attached to the rear of the motorcycle and a decal number plate that will be placed at the front.

The metal plate shall be 235 millimeters by 135 mm while the decal plate is at 135 mm by 85 mm. The plate will also bear a color code bar reflecting the assigned colors of the region where it is registered.

For Central Visayas, private vehicles registered here will be assigned with an orange color strip at the bottom.

The designated colors of each region according to the IRR of the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act which also sets the new design for motorcycle plates. (Screengrab from the IRR)

These color-coded plates apply for the metal number plate of private motorcycles. For public utility motorcycles, the metal plates will have a yellow background and the six-digit alphanumeric combination will be written in black; government-owned motorcycles’ number plates will have its alphanumeric combination printed in red on a white background while those used for diplomatic purposes shall have its alphanumeric combination in blue.

However, LTO-7 Regional Director Victor Caindec clarified that the rollout of the new plates would not be expected to begin in a few weeks time yet.

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With the new IRR specifying the dimensions of the plates, Caindec said the agency would have to retool yet their plate production facility in order to conform with the new specification. This retooling entails the procurement of new plates that will match the prescribed dimensions of the new plate design.

Caindec also said the impression of the new law enforcing a “doble plaka” (double plate) system was erroneous.

“We have to correct the impression nga doble plaka because it is not doble plaka. [RA] 11235 penalizes the use of motorcycles in criminal acts. Part of the provisions requires bigger plates that are better readable,” Caindec said.

Aside from the new plate design, the IRR also requires owner or dealers of motorcycles to report the sale of a unit within five days from the date of the sales invoice./dbs