LTO chief: No more driver’s license cards, car plates backlog by July 1

LTO logo over its building. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — The Land Transportation Office (LTO) will no longer have any backlog for plastic driver’s license cards and vehicle plates by July 1, its chief assured the public on Tuesday.

LTO Assistant Secretary Vigor Mendoza said they have reported to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that the agency has secured a steady supply of plastic cards for driver’s licenses to meet the demand until the end of this year.

“By July 1 of this year, dapat wala na po backlog and we can see na on track tayo diyan. ‘Yung mga nag-expire ng April 30, nagre-renew na po ang kanilang cards pati ‘yung last year; tuloy-tuloy po ang pag-renew ng kanilang cards,” he said in a Palace briefing.

(By July 1 of this year, there should be no backlog, and we can see we are on track there. Those licenses that expired April 30 could already be renewed, as well as those that expired last year; their cards are continuously being renewed.)

READ: Plastic drivers’ licenses delayed anew due to paper work issues — LTO

The LTO chief said holders of paper driver’s licenses should go to their local LTOs and get their plastic driver’s license cards.

Mendoza likewise said there are enough car plates.

READ: LTO sees end of driver’s license card shortage

“By July 1, there should be no temporary plates anymore,” he said.

Mendoza said the Department of Transportation was able to bid out 9.7 million plastic cards for driver’s licenses, whose issuance has been repeatedly delayed in the past year following a supply shortage and several procedural setbacks.