By Alec Go
The Land Transportation Office (LTO) will be issuing temporary driver’s licenses in paper form amid the low supply of plastic cards for the printing of licenses.
LTO Chief Jose Arturo Tugade said in a press conference on Thursday, April 20, that the remaining cards in its inventory may last only until the last week of April.
“Kapag sila ay nag-renew sa isang office at wala na pong plastic cards doon, bibigyan po sila ng printout ng OR (official receipt) ng kanilang driver’s license, tapos sa likod po noon [ay] ‘yung driver’s license na should have been printed out on a plastic card for them,” he said.
“Iyon po yung panghahawakan po muna ng driver habang wala pa po ‘yung plastic card,” he added, noting that a specific QR code will be attached to the temporary permit.
Tugade said the problem on the card supply is on a nationwide scale, although there are still offices in Metro Manila that have cards.
The official said they have been made aware of the problem as early as November 15 last year.
“Sometime in January, when we were ready to procure the licenses, we received a department order whereby the department order instructed us that all procurement involving P50 million and above shall be conducted by the DOTr Central Office,” he said.
The total budget for the procurement is P240 million.
Tugade said the LTO is prepared to print the licenses on plastic cards once the cards are delivered.
TOR under evaluation
In a statement, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said it is “currently working to be allowed to purchase part of the total volume of license cards” needed by the LTO.
This is while the LTO-submitted Terms of Reference (TOR) in late March is under evaluation for the department’s Bids and Awards Committee.
“DOTr is communicating with the Government Procurement Policy Board-Technical Support Office (under the Department of Budget and Management) to expedite the purchase of the license cards, after LTO’s failure to undertake early procurement activities in compliance with existing rules,” it stated.
The assessment of the TOR seeks to “determine a more efficient, effective, and economic option at procuring the license cards.”
“DOTr hopes to procure enough license cards before supply runs out and while the TOR is being remedied so the bidding for supply of license cards can proceed,” it stated. – cf