LTO receives 108,400 fresh motor vehicle license plates for stamping, backlog still at 1.797M
With the plastic Driver’s License cards problem having been addressed, the LTO – and the motoring public – get yet another reprieve. Just yesterday, the Land Transportation Office shared that it has taken delivery of at least 108,400 blank license plates ready for stamping. No less than Department of Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista and Land Transportation Office OIC Assistant Secretary Hector A. Villacorta received the plates at the agency’s Plate Making Plant in East Avenue, Quezon City.
DOTr acquired total of 16,040,640 license plates for LTO
Photo: Land Transportation Office
We can remember that in April, the LTO said that the supply of blank license plates was almost all spent. Plates for motor vehicles were expected to be depleted within this month – July – but with yesterday’s delivery, that may have been a crisis averted. After the Department of Transportation (DOTr) awarded the winning bidder, Trojan-Tonnjes Joint Venture, the rights to supply blank plates, this marks the initial delivery of a total of 16,040,640 plates that were acquired.
Photo: Land Transportation Office
“Itong plates natin, ‘yung ating procurement ay inabot ng [The procurement of these plates cost] almost PHP 3.8 billion. In fact, we’re very happy to inform everyone na [that] because of transparent bidding, we are able to generate savings based on the approved estimate natin na PHP 5.2 billion. So, PHP 1.4 billion ‘yung naging savings natin dito sa ginawa nating procurement na ito [So, our savings with this procurement is PHP 1.4 billion],” Bautista said.
Photo: LTO
As it stands, reports indicate that a backlog of 1,797,000 pairs of plates still plagues the LTO. The agency is confident in the supplier’s ability and commitment to deliver a minimum of 60,000 motor vehicle plates weekly. Do note, though, that this delivery was only for motor vehicle plates and no mention of a resupply of motorcycle plates was mentioned. Supposedly, the supply of motorcycle plates was in danger of running out last month, June.
But that’s one problem solved, at least. Now we wait for a few things. First, how quickly can the LTO‘s Plate Making Facility stamp the new plates? Second, Can the supplier do good on its commitment of delivering 60,000 blank plates per week? And third, when do our motorcycle-riding and owning public get their supply of license plates?
Our watch continues.
