LTO needs P6.8 billion to end plate backlog

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) will require at least P6.8 billion to wipe out the backlog in license plate production, its officer-in-charge Romeo Vera Cruz said on Wednesday.

"Malaki po ang backlog natin sa plaka. I think we need about P6.8 billion to address all of these backlog, yung four-wheel at saka yung motorcycle. Lalo na sa motorcycle, malaki-laki talaga,” he said at the Laging Handa public briefing.

(We have huge backlog in license plates. I think we need about P6.8 billion to address all of these backlog, including plates for four-wheel and motorcycle.)

“So we need funding and only Congress can  provide us with funding,” he added.

Currently, the LTO has two shifts for the production of license plates and it can be increased to three shifts, Vera Cruz said.

"We have two robots, one robot for motorcycle plates and one for four-wheel motor vehicles in addition to the nine or 10 manual embossing machines,” he said.

“Kaya kayang-kaya natin 'yang backlog kapag meron lang pondo po (We can handle the backlogs if only we have funding),” he added.

On June 3, the LTO said it has finished manufacturing only seven million plates out of the 18 to 19 million that still need to be produced.—LDF, GMA News