The Land Transportation Office (LTO) is studying a possible partnership with car dealers and motorcycle manufacturers to help the agency release license plates for new vehicles within 72 hours to comply with the directive of Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon.
“What we are exploring now is, once the unit gets out from the dealer, there must have a plate already so we can avoid finger-pointing,” LTO chief Vigor Mendoza II explained in a TeleRadyo Serbisyo interview. He said the proposal came from the dealers themselves.
Mendoza disclosed on Thursday that he will meet with the car dealers on March 5 to thresh out the details, come up with an agreement, and set a pilot run that same month. “Hopefully, we can do a pilot. If it’s successful, we will propagate it nationwide,” he noted.
At present, the LTO chief said they are processing licensing plates for new vehicles in five days, including the official receipt and certificate of registration (OR/CR). Mendoza said he plans to issue license plates for new motorcycles at the manufacturing level.
“As far as the motorcycles are concerned, we have already spoken to the motorcycle dealers’ association, the suggestion came from them. We are meeting with the manufacturers. What we are thinking of is, once the unit gets out from the plant, there is already a plate,” he added.
Meanwhile, Mendoza said he prepared a courtesy resignation in compliance with the first memorandum of Dizon, but did not submit it upon learning that the memo only covers executives at the Department of Transportation (DOTr).
“Despite being an assistant secretary, I am not included (in the memo) since I am the chief of an attached agency,” Mendoza said. Dizon clarified his memo applies only to incumbent undersecretaries, assistant secretaries, and directors of DOTr.