At least two LTO branches in Cebu City and Mandaue City can now issue new driver’s license cards starting last Tuesday.
Land Transportation Office (LTO 7) regional director Arnel Tancinco said the licensing centers of LTO in Cebu City and Mandaue City already got printer and plastic cards from new contractor Allcard Plastics Philippines.
Cebu City and Mandaue City got first the supplies because of the large number of driver’s license applicants. The new printer can print 800 cards a day.Tancinco said the other licensing centers in Central Visayas will still issue temporary driver’s license while waiting for their printing supplies to arrive. Supplies will be gradually delivered in some LTO licensing centers until Sept. 25. All LTO licensing centers nationwide are expected to fully distribute the plastic ID cards by Sept. 25, Tancinco said.
Processing for the renewal of driver’s license would take only 10 minutes, while those with changes in personal data would last for 15 minutes.
For new applicants of driver’s license, processing would take four hours because there will be a written exam. After passing the written exam, the new applicants will have to take the oral exam before they can get their driver’s license.
For the student permit, the processing time is similar to the renewal.
Tancinco reminded those who were given temporary driver’s license to start getting the real plastic ID cards next week.
To solve the backlog of driver’s license applications for the whole region, the LTO licensing centers in Cebu City and Mandaue City will have to work overtime for at least two hours everyday after 5 p.m. and whole day on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Those who got the temporary driver’s license January last year can get first the plastic ID cards.
Since 2014, LTO nationwide only issued temporary driver’s license because of the contract problem with the previous supplier.