THE DEPARTMENT of Transportation (DoTr) is expected to clear its backlog of more than 179,000 license plates for motor vehicles by Wednesday, the Senate Public Services Committee chairperson said during Monday’s plenary session debates on the DoTr’s proposed P171-billion budget.
“The good news is by Nov. 15, there are no more [license plate] backlogs for motor vehicles,” Senator Mary Grace N. Poe-Llamanzares said as Senator Aquilino D. Pimentel III raised questions on the DoTr’s efforts to address the issue.
Motorcycle license plates, however, are a different story. “Until 2025, there will still be motorcycle plates backlog to the tune of around 13 million,” Ms. Poe-Llamanzares said.
Also, the DoTr has yet to issue about 2.4 million driver’s license cards as of Oct. 18, adding that the number is expected to increase to 3.9 million by December, the senator said.
She said that while the Land Transportation Office (LTO) is expecting plastic card supplies of about 4.6 million by next year, a deficit of two million cards is still projected.
Ms. Poe-Llamanzares said the Senate Finance Committee has allotted P297 million in the DoTr’s budget next year to cover the shortcomings and fast-track the issuance of license plates and cards. It also covers the replacement of 23 laser engraver machines worth P80.3 million. — John Victor D. Ordoñez