Duterte signs law requiring bigger, color-coded license plates for motorcycles

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte has signed into law a measure seeking to prevent the use of motorcycles in crimes by requiring bigger, readable, and color-coded license plates.

Duterte signed Republic Act 11235 or the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act on March 8, a copy of which was released to the media on Thursday.

Under the new law, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) is mandated to issue bigger, readable and color-coded license plates to motorcycles in the country.

The new plates should be big enough to be readable from a distance of at least 15 meters, the law noted.

“The LTO shall also devise a color scheme of the readable number plates for every region in the Philippines where a motorcycle is registered for quick and easy identification,” it added.

The readable license plates must be displayed in both the front and back sides of the motorcycle.

Motorcycle owners must renew their registration and apply for the required readable license plate not later than June 30, 2019. They are also required to register their motorcycle with the LTO within five days from the acquisition of ownership.

Meanwhile, motorcycle owners must immediately report any sale or disposition of his or her motorcycle to the LTO.

The law states that failure to register within the prescribed dates carries a penalty of “imprisonment of arresto mayor to prison correctional, as defined under the Revise Penal Code, or a fine of not less than P20,000 but not more than P50,000, or both.”

The LTO has until December 31 to produce, release, and issue the readable license plates. /ee