Ben Madilynn
OWNERS of motor vehicles and motorcycles using temporary plates will not be issued citation tickets unless cited for other traffic violations, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) assured on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024.
Starting Sunday, Sept. 1, the LTO together with relevant law enforcement agencies will start apprehending violators of its latest Memorandum Circular VDM-2024-272, issued last July 1, regarding guidelines on the use of improvised and temporary motor vehicle and motorcycle plates nationwide.
In a statement on Saturday, LTO Chief Assistant Secretary Vigor Mendoza II said traffic enforcers, whether from LTO or other partner agencies, will take a photo of the official receipt/certificate of registration (OR/CR) and sales invoice of the motor vehicle or motorcycle using temporary plates during the operation.
This is to address the confusion of some motorcycle and vehicle drivers in Cebu City about the new guidelines.
“The picture shall be endorsed to the Operations Division to verify if the plate was already produced and, if it was, the same shall be located,” Mendoza added.
Under the memorandum, all new four-wheeled motor vehicles can only use temporary plates within a period of 15 days from the issuance of sales invoice. The temporary plate should reflect the assigned conduction sticker number.
The use of temporary plates for motorcycles shall only be allowed for units purchased before Jan. 1, 2023. For new motorcycles or those purchased after the effectivity of the memo, the use of temporary plate shall be valid only within a period of 15 days from the issuance of sales invoice as specified under the memo.
Mendoza said that if, upon verification, the subject plate was already delivered to the dealer, the dealer will be issued a notice to explain why this was not given to the owner. If proven that the dealer is at fault, appropriate penalties and sanctions shall be imposed.
If proven that the dealer had delivered the plate to the owner before the apprehension, the latter will be issued a show cause order for violation of failure to attach plates under Section II (e) of Joint Administrative Order (JAO) 2014-01 and will be fined P5,000.
Mendoza clarified that the use of improvised plates must be stipulated through an authorization certificate from the concerned LTO office where the duplicate plate request was processed.
Improvised plates are for motor vehicles and/or motorcycles whose owners were already issued plates but are waiting for replacements after their plates were lost, mutilated or defaced.
The authorization certificate serves as their proof that they requested replacement plates.
On Friday, Aug. 30, a handful of drivers flocked and formed a long line at the LTO 7 office inside a mall at the the North Reclamation Area in Cebu City to ask for clarification on the new regulations.
The LTO 7, in 2023, suffered a backlog of 600,000 license plates. In 2024 the LTO Central Office has to address 179,000 and 13.2 million backlog for motor vehicles and motorcycles nationwide. / EHP, PR
