Plates for 2014-2016 vehicles out in mid-2020

MANILA, Philippines — License plates for vehicles registered before the start of the Duterte administration will be issued by mid-2020, a few months delayed from the initial plan.

Land Transportation Office chief Edgar Galvante said the LTO plans to release the license plates from 2014 up to June 30, 2016 by the middle of next year.

Galvante said in an interview with OneNews’ “The Chiefs” that mid-2020 will be the latest for the issuance of the long-delayed license plates for private vehicles instead of the third quarter this year. 

The backlog in license plates from February 2014 to June 2016 is pegged at around 5.8 million for vehicles and another 2.5 million for motorcycles.

Problems in supply materials were identified by Galvante as the source of delay.

Adjustments had to be made on the license plate material as the plate-making plant of the LTO had different edgings from the previous supplier.

The Commission on Audit last year lifted its notice of disallowance following the Supreme Court decision upholding the P3.8-billion Motor Vehicle License Plate Standardization program of the previous administration. 

The LTO is now following through with the contract with Filipino-Dutch consortium J. Knieriem B.V. Goes and Power Plates Development Concept Inc., even if it has already awarded a new contract to Trojan Computer Forms Manufacturing Corp. and JH. Tonnjes E.A.S.T. GmbH joint venture. 

The new contract put up the plate making facility for the LTO and awards 775,000 pairs of motor vehicle plates and 1.7 million pieces of motorcycle plates to address requirements from July 1, 2016 and beyond.

Galvante said the Filipino-Dutch consortium is now delivering materials for LTO to print the plates on.

In terms of motorcycle plates, the LTO chief admitted that they are having a hard time complying with the law that requires front plates should be visible up to 15 meters even at night.