Tolentino: LTO needs 3 vehicle plate suppliers to address backlog

Senator Francis Tolentino with habal-habal drivers in Cebu City. | CDN Digital photo / Futch Anthony Inso

LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu— The Land Transportation Office (LTO) has to tap three manufacturers to hasten the production of vehicle plates, especially for motorcycles, and address the backlog.

Senator Francis Tolentino said that one manufacturer should each be situated in strategic areas in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

“Siguro tatlong manufacturing na planta. Isa sa Visayas, isa sa Mindanao, hindi lang sa Manila. Para sabay-sabay gawin yan,” Tolentino said during his Cebu visit on Saturday to attend the 2nd Habal-Habal Summit and Christmas Party that was held at the open field of the South Road Properties (SRP) in Cebu City.

READ: Sen. Tolentino criticizes LTO’s new directive on motorcycle plates

(They need at least three manufacturing plants. One in the Visayas, one in Mindanao, not just in Manila. They should simultaneously do the printing.)

Earlier, the Commission on Audit (COA) urged the LTO to address the cause of delay in the production of motorcycle plates.

READ: Amend ‘Doble Plaka’ Law to ease motorcycle license plates backlog

To date, LTO has a recorded a backlog of 9.1 million plates for motorcycles.

REPLACEMENT PLATES

Aside from this, the agency also has a backlog of 1.6 million for replacement plates.  LTO has collected at least P763 million for the issuance of replacement plates since 2015.

READ: Tolentino’s LITAW program starts in January 2025

Meanwhile, Tolentino described the indefinite suspension of the deadline that the LTO has set for the use of temporary plates as a victory for motorcycle riders.

Earlier, LTO issued a controversial order prohibiting the use of temporary license plates starting January 1, 2025.

“Pinaglaban natin yun. Suspended na siya indefinitely. So, wala munang hulihan sa December 31,” he added.

(I fought against that.  That is now suspended indefinitely. So, no arrest will be made on December 31.)

Tolentino said motorcycle riders cannot be faulted for their continued use of temporary plates.  This was mainly because their new vehicle plates remain unavailable to date.

“The indefinite suspension is clearly a victory for millions of motorcycle riders. But deferring the memorandum is not enough. The LTO must be definite about its pronouncements on when it could finally resolve its backlog. It’s a disservice to keep the public always guessing, and to keep setting unrealistic deadlines for motorists’ compliance, when the agency itself cannot meet its own targets,” he said.