LTO ordered to suspend confiscation of driver’s license during traffic violation cases
Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez has ordered the Land Transportation Office to immediately suspend the confiscation of driver’s licenses in apprehension cases involving traffic violations.
According to a release by the DOTr, the order was issued following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to the agency to "streamline and clarify procedures in apprehending erring motorists whose driver’s licenses have been confiscated."
With the suspension, the LTO must revisit all existing guidelines to ensure consistency across all policies.
Lopez also amended the guidelines for settling traffic apprehension cases by changing the lead time from 15 calendar days to 15 working days. This is to "afford both the government and the public sufficient time to resolve cases."
"Ibig sabihin po nito, hindi kasama ‘yung mga holiday at long weekend sa bilang ng araw kapag magse-settle ng violation ‘yung driver," he said.
Instead of confiscation, the LTO is now directed to place the violator’s driver’s license under alert and strictly enforce the automatic suspension or revocation of the license should the driver fail to settle the case within 15 working days.
The order comes after road safety advocate and vlogger James Deakin criticized the agency in connection with a traffic violation allegedly committed by his son last December.
In a Facebook post, he said that he found an issue with the 15-day deadline to settle traffic violations, arguing that it included the "eight or nine days the LTO was closed."
"When the public wait months and years for plates or plastic cards, it’s just brushed off as an administrative issue. Yet when we miss the deadline, even when you’re closed, it’s automatic suspension and public shaming," he said.
"Can you see the hypocrisy here?" he added.
Following Lopez's order, Deakin shared that he was relieved that the necessary changes had been made.
"This, my friends, is what good public service looks like. Not press conferences shaming citizens. Not impossible deadlines or arbitrary enforcement. But truly listening to your constituents and maintaining accountability, while using power to fix broken systems instead of protecting them," he said in a separate post.