MANILA, Philippines – New license plates for vehicles and motorcycles could be issued by the Land Transportation Office (LTO) as early as the end of September, the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) announced Tuesday.
DOTC Spokesman Michael Arthur Sagcal said in a statement that the new license plates for motor vehicles (MV) would have a three-letter and four-number combination while motocycles (MC) would have a two-letter and five-number combination.
The new plates will also have a few security features such as reflective sheeting material that will make it visible up to a distance of 100 feet during night or day. It will also contain security images that cannot be removed without destroying the sheet material.
They will have “laser-betched bar codes” that will have data input that can be verified by LTO.
The screws and nuts used to install the plates to the vehicles will also have serial numbers and will undergo an anodization process to prevent tampering and removal.
“The new security features will promote safety and reliability in accordance with international quality standards,” Sagcal said.
“They will prevent the tampering, theft, and falsification of license plates, mitigating carnapping, colorum, and smuggling practices,” he said.
Private vehicle plates will also be in black and white design instead of the current green and white to look similary to the plate design of some European countries and Singapore, the statement said.
DOTC awarded the five year, P 1.989-Billion contract for the supply of MV license plates to a joint venture of J. Knieriem B.V. Goes and Power Plates Development Concepts, Inc.
The separate contract for the supply of motorcycle license plates that costs P 1.196-Billion was also awarded to the same bidder.
The supply contracts will be finalized by the DOTC in 10 days then a Notice to Proceed will be issued. After 30 days, the license plates have to be delivered to the LTO so they can be issued to the public.
“The public can start enjoying the benefits of cutting-edge standardized license plates before the end of September. They need not wait much longer,” Sagcal said.
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