LTO may tap malls to distribute license plates

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) has announced that the agency is planning to distribute license plates at different malls around the country.

According to LTO chief Assistant Secretary Atty. Vigor Mendoza II, utilizing malls as distribution points of the unclaimed licensed plates will ensure their fast release in line with the directive of Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jaime Bautista.

_{LTO Chief, Atty. Vigor Mendoza II}

The malls would also help in the distribution system so that the agency’s district offices will not be overwhelmed.

“We are now looking at the distribution system, we’ve already talked with [car/motorcycle] dealers and malls to make them as distribution points [of license plates], not necessarily our own District Offices because they might get overwhelmed,” said Mendoza.

Appointment system eyed

Asec. Mendoza, also added that the agency is looking at putting an appointment system in place – just like the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) passport appointment system – to ensure the smooth distribution and release of unclaimed license plates.

“Then we will also start the appointment system. For those who want to get their license plates, they need to go through the appointment system.”

Back in July, the DOTr, together with the LTO, announced that the issues surrounding the license plates and driver’s license card supply backlog will be solved this year.

“Our problem with the plates, driver’s licenses, we will resolve them within the year. With the finalizations of the procurement of plates, we received deliveries last week and today. The deliveries of license cards, it already happened,” said DOTr Secretary, Jaime Bautista.