LTO not collecting fees for new car plates fees for now

CEBU, Philippines - The Land Transportation Office will temporarily stop collecting fees for replacement of old license plates.

This followed after the Commission on Audit issued a notice of disallowance for LTO to stop collecting such fee for the time being.

In a press statement released by the Department of Transportation and Communication, with the notice of disallowance, vehicle owners who have not yet paid for the new license plates will not have to shell out P450 upon their renewal of registration.

In the same statement, DOTC Secretary Jun Abaya said they are currently in the process of resolving the issue with the COA regarding the Plate Standardization Program.

Abaya hopes that this issue will be resolved and that COA lifts the disallowance so that they can provide the public with plates for improved road safety.

The LTO assures that the new standardized plates will be issued to motorists who have settled the payment as soon as the issue with COA is resolved.

The DOTC and the LTO rolled out the Plate Standardization Program in May 2014 for newly registered vehicles.

In January this year, the LTO issued Memorandum Circular No. AVT-2014-1895, mandating vehicle owners to replace their old license plates with the new standardized plates.

The statement added that the standardization program aims to curb illegal practices such as tanggal-plaka or plate removal or switching, which is prevalent in carnapping and colorum public utility.  (FREEMAN)