'Bawal overpricing': Maximum rates for driving schools set, effective April 15
MANILA, Philippines — The Land Transportation Office (LTO) has set "maximum prescribed rates" for driving schools starting mid April 2023, a memorandum that could penalize institutions up to P100,000 in fines and possible cancellation of accreditation for repetitive violators.
This is in line with LTO chief Jay Art Tugade's warning to overcharging driving schools which will be penalized under the office's Memorandum Circular No. JMT-2023-2390 or "Omnibus Guidelines on the Accreditation, Supervision, and Control of Driving Institutions, and the Standardization of Driver and Conductor’s Education."
The following are the maximum allowable fees that could be charged by private driving institutions:
- theoretical driving course: P1,000
- practical driving course (motorcycle/tricycles): P2,500
- practical driving course (cars and light trucks): P4,000
- practical driving course (truck, passenger vehicles): P8,000
"The new guidelines went through thorough study by the technical working group alongside consultations with all of our stakeholders," explained Tugade on Wednesday in Filipino.
"The maximum prescribed rates is in response to the appeals of many who decry the expensive costs. However, we could still see this as a fair rule for driving schools who invest."
Violators of the prescribed maximum rates of TDCs and PDCs would be fined P50,000 and face a six-month suspension of the school's accreditation.
On the other hand, a P100,000 fine would be levied for second time offenders. This comes with up to a year of suspension. Revocation or cancellation of the school's accreditation would come from a third offense.
Fewer days for theoretical driving course
Shortening of the mandatory 15-hour TDC to two days from three is also included in the memorandum. The first consisting of seven hours and the second day taking around eight hours.
Practical driving under the new guidelines should take no less than eight hours for each license code sought by the applicant.
"PDC for light and heavy vehicles shall be conducted for at least TWO days while eight-hour PDC for motorcycles may be conducted in one day, provided that the student-driver has proven to have already acquired the knowledge based on the assessment by a practical driving instructor," according to the memo.
"Registration of his/her biometrics before and after every session for attendance purposes is required. The Driving Institution shall provide and maintain an attendance sheet to record the actual presence of the applicant during the conduct of the face-to-face TDC and written examination or validation."
After the TDC final exam and eight-hours of PDC, an applicant would then be given a Certificate of Course Completion in real-time which will be electronically transmitted to the Land Transportation Management System through the Driving Institution Portal.
- Latest
- Trending
