LTO to issue driver's license on paper amid plastic card shortage

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) will print out drivers' licenses on paper due to the shortage of plastic cards.

According to Joseph Morong's report on "24 Oras," some licensing offices like Pasay and Quezon City still have plastic cards but not enough for the thousands who will apply for new ones or renew their licenses in the months ahead.

“By next week po siguro mag-isyu na kami ng temporary. Printed na lang po sa papel,” Pasay licensing office assistant chief Dexter Frane said.

According to LTO chief Jayart Tugade, there are only over 140,000 plastic cards nationwide. He said his office estimated the available cards will not be sufficient to meet the demand.  In December last year, the LTO asked to procure additional five million cards which will cost P249 million.

In January 2023, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) stating that it would be in charge of the bidding for contracts whose amount were higher than P50 million. The LTO appealed the matter, but the DOTr turned it down.

"The procurement of the licenses, na-transfer sa DOTr. Had we been able to continue with our procurement activities, we would have sufficient plastic cards right now," Tugade said. 

DOTr Secretary Jaime Bautista responded, saying, "Dapat pinaplano 'yan eh. Merong annual procurement plan dapat. ‘Yun ay dapat pinaplano. Hindi 'yung 'pag nauubos na saka lang mag-o-order."

Bautista said the DOTr took the responsibility of procuring the plastic cards only this March. He also defended the department's policy to directly take charge of big contracts.

“Itong policy na ito is ia-apply namin sa lahat ng sectors ng DOTr including government owned controlled corporations para magkaroon ng tamang control, 'yung tamang approval process. Sa mga private companies mayroong level of authority ang bawat officers. ‘Yun ang mga gusto namin ma-imply,” he added.

Bautista said that the DOTr would speed up the procurement of plastic cards for LTO's use.

LTO said the printed driver's license could be used for instance if there are violations.—Sherylin Untalan/LDF, GMA Integrated News