Gullas bats for online renewal of driver’s license, registration

CEBU, Philippines - House deputy majority leader and Cebu First District Rep. Gerald Anthony Gullas Jr. wants the Land Transportation Office to embrace information technology that would enable the online renewal of driver's license and motor vehicle registration.

Gullas is hoping that it would be done by the middle of President Rodrigo Duterte's term.

 "Our LTO has been left far behind computer systems-wise compared to other countries, where citizens may now conveniently renew driver's licenses and car registrations electronically, without having to physically show up at the nearest office of the transport regulator," Gullas said.

He said drivers and car owners in other countries are able to   perform the following transactions online:

• Renew a driver's license and pay for the renewal via credit or debit card, or remote bank transfer;

• Request for their own driver record and pay for it;

• Pay traffic fines;

• Renew their motor vehicle registration and pay for it;

• Report the sale or transfer of car ownership and pay the appropriate fees;

• Report a change of address; and

• Set up an appointment with the local office of the transport regulator.

The LTO issues renewable professional and non-professional licenses for drivers as well as permits for conductors. It also gives out non-renewable student permits.

"Right now, some 53 percent of licenses and permits processed by the LTO every year are actually renewals, while some 80 percent of car registrations handled are also renewals," Gullas said.

These renewals may be administered online easily once the agency adopts the appropriate information technology, he said.

"We are counting on the LTO to live up to the President's wish, which is actually everybody's wish,  for all agencies to avoid unnecessarily aggravating the transacting public and to expedite the delivery of services," Gullas said.

Duterte has repeatedly expressed aversion to people having to wait in line for hours whenever they have to deal with agencies.

He also recently voiced exasperation over lingering corruption at the LTO and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, and vowed to be harsher on officials of the two agencies attached to the Department of Transportation.

Gullas said hold ups in the processing of all kinds of applications at the LTO as well as the LTFRB tend to increase the occasion for malfeasance.

"It is quite possible a number of agencies, not just in the DOTC but also in other departments, are somewhat resisting even  simple technological innovations precisely because without the  usual delays, people would have less opportunity to 'fix' delays  and collect extra 'facilitation' fees," Gullas said.

From January to June 2016, the LTO dispensed a total of 3,001,851 licenses and permits, up by 4.23 percent from 2,880,000 in the same semester in 2015.

The LTO also registered 5,037,586 motor vehicles from January to June this year, up by 5 percent from 4,797,839 in the same six-month period in 2015.

The agency likewise collected P493 million in fines from apprehensions and violations from January to June this year. (FREEMAN)