Land Transportation Office (LTO) Chief Atty. Vigor Mendoza II revealed the supposed plastic cards that were supposed to bolster the current shortage of plastic driver’s licenses will be delayed. This is due to ‘technical hurdles’ that these cards need to go through to be used publicly.
LTO Plastic Card Driver’s Licenses
Previously, it was revealed that four million plastic cards would be donated by the Philippine Society of Medicine for Drivers and said to be delivered this month.
However, Mendoza explained that these cards must be inspected by the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), the House Committee on Transportation, and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). This could ultimately take around two to three weeks.
The approval of the House Committee on Transportation is to address concerns of all sectors, according to the LTO Chief. He added that the DOST will be thoroughly inspecting the cards.
“All of our cards, per batch, go through the DOST where they will (inspect) the thickness, weight, the quality of the material…it would also need a proof of concept…and the security code, they will also review that,” Mendoza said in an interview.
Because of the delay, the agency chief said that Filipinos with driver’s licenses expired in November and December 2023 as well as January 2024 can still use their licenses until April 2024. This, according to the chief is the period when the cards will be available.
Although, this isn’t quite the end of the story as he also revealed that the agency will still require around 10 to 12 million cards for 2024.
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