New LTO-7 chief promises to release half a million vehicle plates, prioritize road safety

Newly-appointed LTO-7 Director Glen Galario answers questions from the media on Thursday, July 6, 2023.| CDN Digital photo / Wenilyn Sabalo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The distribution of all unclaimed motorcycle and vehicle plates and the implementation of road safety measures top the priorities of the new director of the Land Transportation Office in Central Visayas (LTO-7).

Director Glen Galario said he targets the release of at least half a million plates this year as he also plans to intensify the conduct of roadside inspections to promote road safety and compel all road users to secure vehicle registration and a driver’s license.

Galario, who held his first press conference on Thursday, July 6, said that he received marching orders from the Department of Transportation (DOTr), LTO’s mother agency, to ensure the release of all the unclaimed motorcycle and vehicle plates in Central Visayas.

Unclaimed plates

As of July 6, LTO-7 has a total of 528, 772 assigned and issued motorcycle plate numbers and 71,564 assigned and issued vehicle plate numbers that have remained unclaimed.

In order to hasten the process, Galario said that under his leadership he wanted the releasing of the plates done through the dealers.

This means that dealers will be the ones to coordinate with the motorcycle and vehicle owners for them to claim their assigned plates.

With this new policy, LTO-7 expects to double the number of plates released daily through in-person claiming from 50 to 100.  At the same time, they also target to release at least 1, 000 plates daily through the motorcycle and vehicle dealers.

Road safety

Galario also aims to lessen the number of road accidents in the region through the conduct of intensified roadside inspection.  For them to be able to do this, he sought the assistance of other government agencies, including the police.

“I already instructed our chief of operations. We have to intensify our roadside inspection activities so that it will create in the minds of the people nga oy kinahanglan jud irehistro ang atong sakyanan,” he told reporters.

Quoting data from LTO-7, Galario said there are at least one million motor vehicles and motorcycles in Central Visayas.

But only around 50 to 60 percent of these are registered with LTO-7 and were able to undergo road worthiness inspection, which is a requirement for registration.

“What happens to the remaining 40 percent nga wala na inspect? It means to say that we are not sure that these motorcycles, motor vehicles are road worthy enough to be using the highways,” he said.

LTO 7 director Glen Galario

Meanwhile, Galario said LTO 7 will continue to deputize personnel coming from other government agencies and local government units to help in their operations.

He admitted that their agency continues to lack in manpower, which is a challenge in their implementation of their agency’s mandates.

Background

But he promised to do all that he can to ensure the implementation, especially of the plans and programs of his administration.

Galario, who replaced former LTO-7 director Victor Emmanuel Caindec, served as assistant regional director prior to his appointment as the Central Visayas head.

He also served as Vice Mayor in Valencia , Bukidnon from 2016 to 2020 and councilor from 2010 to 2016.

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