LTO: License plates for vehicles could run out by July

It's not only plastic cards for driver's licenses that the Land Transportation Office (LTO) is running out of. In a recent announcement, the government agency said that the supply of license plates is expected to run out as well.

LTO Chief Jay Art Tugade warned that motorcycle license plates could run out by June while the supply for vehicle license plates may be fully depleted by July of this year. In lieu of this upcoming shortage, Tugade said that the LTO is working on a temporary solution where they would allow motorcycle and vehicle owners to issue their own license plates.

While the use of temporary license plates will serve as a stopgap for now, Tugade mentioned that this might result in more crimes as criminals could easily install makeshift license plates. Moreover, it might also result in more stringent counter-checking of license plates to ensure the temporary license plates are legit.

But why is there a shortage of license plates in the first place? Tugade said that the Department of Transportation (DOTr) is in charge of procuring the necessary plates. If the DOTr fails to procure the supply of plates in time, then the shortage of license plates becomes a reality.

With the LTO already facing a shortage of plastic cards for driver's licenses, the fact that there's a possibility that license plates for vehicles and motorcycles may also run out means motorists will be facing not one, but two problems.