LTO to fast-track distribution of license plates to owners

Recently, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) declared that it has distributed over 1.7 million plates across the country. As a result, the government agency announced it will fast-track the distribution of the license plates to their respective owners.

The announcement was made a day after Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Vince Dizon and LTO Chief Atty. Greg G. Pua announced that the 11-year backlog of millions of license plates had been wiped out.

“We are now focusing on the distribution of the license plates to their rightful owners in compliance with the directive of the President to expedite the distribution process,” said Pua.

Under the leadership of LTO Assistant Secretary Atty Vigor D. Mendoza II, the agency ramped up the printing of the license plates and was able to produce more than 18 million license plates. The plates covered the backlog, the replacement plates, and even newly bought motor vehicles.

Since last year, the LTO has instructed all regional directors to implement measures to expedite the delivery of license plates. Some of the LTO offices sought the assistance of local government units, while some initiated home delivery of license plates.

Based on data from the LTO, a total of 7,244,926 plates are set for distribution, with the figure representing the remaining backlog of license plates. As of the latest data, a total of 1,799,206 license plates have already been distributed, while the rest have already been downloaded to the regional offices for immediate distribution.

Pua has also directed all regional directors to expedite the distribution process, but also urged motorists to use the LTO Tracker. This new technology will provide access to agency clients to track the status of their driver’s licenses and motor vehicle plates in real time and even have them delivered straight to their doorsteps through an accredited courier service provider. Alternatively, Pua said owners could also pick up their license plates at the LTO where they registered their vehicle.