What will they think of next?
We’re talking about the Land Transportation Office, an agency under the Department of Transportation, whose mission is to rationalize land transportation services and facilities and effectively implement various transportation laws, rules and regulations.
Its mission is a noble one, emphasizing road safety and protecting lives.
But how come, Sen. Raffy Tulfo asked, the LTO seems to be so busy coming up with various income-generating schemes whose proceeds end up only God knows where?
Here’s the lawmaker talking: “Billions of pesos are lost yearly from the LTO collections due to corruption and a rotten system. It’s time to correct this bad system in the LTO and let those behind these (wrongdoing) be made accountable.”
He cited at least three instances where the agency seems to give priority to income-generating projects rather than road safety and driver education.
One, there’s fly-by-night outsourced vision test centers situated near LTO offices.
The agency, according to the senator, can offer the test instead so the billions collected from it can go to the public treasury and not to some “hao siao” outsourced eye examination clinics.
The funds collected here can be used for meaningful projects like free cataract surgery and free eyeglasses for the poor, as well as research and treatment on vision and blindness.
Two, the outsourced emission testing centers also earn billions from car owners who are required by LTO to get a compliance certificate, which costs P500 per car.
The LTO can likewise be the one issuing compliance certificates so the funds collected from this can also be used for important projects like treatment of different kinds of cancer.
And three, the lawmaker wants to put a stop to what is an unjust requirement for car owners to get a Compulsory Third Party Liability amounting to more than P1,000 per car wanting to register, even though their vehicles already have the comprehensive insurance coverage.
Until public outrage forced the agency to scrap it altogether years ago, the agency also previously required applicants for driver’s licenses to undergo mandatory drug testing by private entities.
As a frontline government agency, the LTO is supposed to render fast and efficient public service for a progressive land transport sector. It is tasked to register motor vehicles, issue driver’s/conductor’s licenses and permits, enforce transportation laws, rules and regulations and adjudicate apprehension cases.
We’re not saying the agency completely ignores public clamor for it to render better services.
It does listen to complaints from the public.
One, it has taken steps to keep fixers away from its offices.
And recently, it also did away with periodic medical exams for those given 5 to 10-year driver’s licenses.
But the unnecessary impositions seem to outweigh the positive reforms, and that’s what the current leadership ought to change—and soon.
