Extend validity of drivers’ licenses, LTO urged

A party list lawmaker has urged the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to automatically extend the validity of drivers’ licenses for one year after a Quezon City court issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) to stop Banner PlastiCard from delivering 5.2 million plastic ID cards. In House Resolution 1203, AGRI Rep. Wilbert Lee said motorists should not suffer from the halted delivery of plastic cards by the winning bidder, Banner PlastiCard. Lee pressed the Department of Transportation and the LTO to automatically extend the validity of drivers’ licenses that are about to expire. On Aug. 15, the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 215 issued a TRO against the LTO, effectively suspending the delivery of plastic ID cards for drivers’ licenses. This pushed back the LTO’s efforts to address its backlog of 1.7 million cards for drivers’ licenses. The TRO stemmed from a petition filed by the losing bidder AllCard Inc., which accused the DOTR’s centralized bids and awards committee of committing grave abuse of discretion when it was disqualified from the bidding process.

—Julie M. Aurelio

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