LTO to issue plates with bar codes by June

MANILA, Philippines - The government intends to start issuing new vehicle plates that will have bar codes under its standardization project by June, Land Transportation Office (LTO) chief Virginia Torres said yesterday.

According to Torres, the project is now in the pre-procurement stage, wherein the terms of reference for the project would be laid out before the bidding. Once approved, all vehicles and motorcycles would be required to change plates upon the renewal of their registration, she said.

Torres said the plates for motor vehicles would cost P450 per pair, while those for motorcycles would cost P120 each. A five-year contract to supply vehicle plates will be bidded out, she added.

LTO executive director Alfonso Tan, in an interview last year, said the plate standardization project would cost roughly P1 billion.

Under the program, the license plates will have bar codes that will include the plate number, engine number, chassis number, serial number, number of plate locks and the third plate sticker.

For public utility vehicles, the new plates will even state the routes to address the problem of “colorum” vehicles (those plying outside their routes or those without franchises).

The new plates will also state the region where the license plate was issued.

The new plates will be attached to the vehicles through one-way metal screws that are said to make the plates permanently attached to the vehicles.