LTO halts ban on temporary, improvised plates
Motorists with temporary or improvised plates get a reprieve from LTO, as the ban on unofficial plates has been suspended, pending further study.
On Monday, new Land Transportation Office chief Markus Lacanilao paused his predecessor, former LTO chief Atty. Vigor Mendoza's directive banning temporary or improvised license plates, and penalizing their owners, which was set to take effect on Nov. 1. Mendoza issued the order on Sept. 25.
Lacanilao wanted more time to review several issues concerning the ban before implementing it, especially since the ban includes a P5,000 fine for motorists using unofficial plates.
"Hindi kasalanan ng ordinaryong tao kung ang plaka niya ay hindi naibibigay sa kanya tapos ipa-fine natin siya," he said, theorizing the fault may be with the plate dealer or the LTO itself.
Even as he suspended the ban, however, Lacanilao reminded the driving public that motorists without official license plates will still need authorization from the LTO before using their vehicles.
On the same day, the LTO chief suspended another policy issued by Mendoza. Originally scheduled to take effect on Oct. 15, the directive would have required the release of license plates and Official Receipt/Certificate of Registration on the same day that owners receive their new vehicles.
Mendoza is now head of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.
