LTO to distribute 40,000 plates before October 16 deadline
MORE than 40,000 new motor vehicles and motorcycle plates have to be distributed to motorists all over Central Visayas before October 16, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) 7 director said yesterday.
LTO Regional Director Arnel Tancinco said these plates have to be claimed before the date in time for implementation of the nationwide “no plate, no travel” policy.
“The plates are available for distribution anytime,” Tancinco said during the 888 News Forum yesterday.
Around 14,000 plates for motor vehicles and 27,000 plates for motorcycles are available at the properties section of the office along N. Bacalso Avenue in Cebu City.
Tancinco said the agency is after vehicles with no registration but have to flag down those without plates because these are usually the ones without necessary papers.
Starting October 16, vehicles traveling without plates will be fined P10,000 under the Joint Administrative Order 2014-01 with the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulation Board (LTFRB).
However, those who can show registration documents will not be fined.
The policy was set to be implemented in August but was postponed after automobile manufacturers and dealers asked for more time to claim newly issued plates.
Tancinco said there really is a need for the plates to be distributed because if motorists are caught traveling without one, the LTO will be blamed for not disseminating the information properly.
“If enforcers apprehend motorists without plates and they say “we didn’t know,” surely they will blame the office,” he said.
He added only around 10 percent of the total plates available for Region 7 were claimed.
Vehicles that were registered before February 14, 2014 can claim their backlog plates from their respective dealers.
Meanwhile, those that were registered from February 17 until present can claim the new license plates from the LTO.
Last May, the LTO unveiled the new vehicle license plates featuring a simpler and more identifiable design.
The plate cards contain a three-letter and four-number combination to accommodate the growing number of vehicle registrants.
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