LTO PROJECT CARS. Land Transportation Office (LTO) Region 1 Director Teofilo Guadiz III and Abono Party-list Representative Conrado Estrella III (middle) partner for the holding of the Project CARS (Creating Advocates for Road Safety) in Rosales, Pangasinan, hometown of Estrella on Oct 18, 2019. Participants to the road safety advocacy of LTO Region 1 were students and Sangguniang Kabataan members from the sixth district of Pangasinan. (Photo by Liwayway Yparraguirre)
DAGUPAN CITY -- The Land Transportation Office (LTO) is set to implement new rules in the issuance of drivers’ licenses and accreditation of driving schools or academies starting January next year.
LTO Region 1 (Ilocos) director Teofilo Guadiz III said they will start disseminating the new rules next month.
“Mag-iiba ang playing field sa pagkuha ng driver's license. (The playing field in getting a driver’s license will be changed). Before one could get a student permit, an applicant should be getting 15 hours of actual seminar. This is mandatory. After the seminar, there will be an exam to be given by LTO. After the exam, he/she will be issued the student permit," he said in an interview Monday.
When the holder of the student permit applies for a non-professional driver's license, he/she will undergo the mandatory eight-hour practical review or actual driving and then, the applicant must pass another examination, he said.
Guadiz said there will also be accreditation of driving schools as driving academies.
"There are requirements to be complied with. There will be a specific size of a classroom; there must be an area where their students can drive and they must have different types of vehicle. And they will be required a cash bond of PHP3 million," he said.
"This week, (we) will have a meeting in Tagaytay, the cash bond might be raised to PHP5 million. The reason for the cash bond is to stop the fly-by-night driving schools. The driving academy should be stable to ensure better service to their clients,” he added.
Guadiz said he is one of the lawyers connected with LTO working on these new guidelines and system in renewing a driver's license.
"For the renewal of driver’s license, starting January 2020, those who will renew their license will be required to attend eight hours of actual seminar. How will LTO know that you really attended the seminar? You will need to have your biometrics before entering the seminar room, and biometric will also be required when you leave the room,” he explained.
Guadiz further said LTO will also implement starting next year the 10-year validity of license of drivers without violations.
"In one way, LTO will be stricter but at the same time we also have good news for the drivers. If they have no violation, the driver’s license’s validity will be 10 years. But if you have committed violations, there will be a mandatory seminar and examination before you could get your license renewed but that license will be valid for five years," he said.
Meanwhile, LTO Region 1 has a new district office located at the Government Center in Rosales town.
Abono Party-list Representative Conrado Estrella III said last Friday that during his previous term, he filed a bill at the House of Representatives converting the LTO extension office into a regular district office.
It will be accepting regular transactions, such as issuance of drivers’ licenses and registration of vehicles, he said. (PNA)
