LTO revamps district chiefs over ‘sluggish plate rollout’

MANILA, Philippines — The Land Transportation Office will reshuffle all its LTO district chiefs following reports of underperformance, particularly in license plate distribution and enforcement of regulations against unregistered and colorum vehicles.

LTO chief Vigor Mendoza II said he has directed all regional directors to recommend the reassignment of underperforming district officers as part of efforts to improve efficiency and service delivery.

The directive came after the review of monthly accomplishment reports showed slow plate distribution, fewer apprehensions of vehicles with expired registration and declining operations against colorum vehicles.

“While most of the district offices are doing well, a number of district officers are becoming complacent in their positions, especially those who have been holding the same office since the beginning of this administration,” Mendoza said.

The LTO noted that the reorganization seeks to improve the performance of district offices and enhance the implementation of key programs, such as the faster distribution of license plates and release of vehicle registration documents within three days from purchase.

Mendoza reiterated his push for the same-day release of license plates and official receipt/certificate of registration or OR/CR of newly bought vehicles to reduce backlogs and improve customer service.

He noted that some district offices have failed to sustain outreach activities for licensing and vehicle registration, resulting in reduced public access to LTO services.

An LTO review also showed weaker enforcement against colorum vehicles, which legitimate transport groups say continue to affect their daily income by as much as 30 percent.