SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union – The Land Transportation Office (LTO) conducts random checking in Ilocos Region to ensure that no unauthorized persons are out driving private vehicles and no public utility vehicles (PUV) without special permit plying the roads.
In an interview Tuesday, LTO Ilocos regional director, lawyer Teofilo Guadiz III said this is in line with the implementation of a memorandum circular covering new guidelines relative to the operation of PUVs and private vehicles in areas placed under general community quarantine (GCQ).
Under the new guidelines, he said PUVs like jeepneys cannot ply their routes without the special permit for public transportation operations issued by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).
The LTFRB, in a Facebook post on Monday, announced it is accepting applications for a special permit for public transportation operation in the provinces in the region.
Guadiz said one who is not an authorized person outside residence (APOR), or without an APOR passenger as described in the Bayanihan Act, cannot drive his private vehicle outside his residence.
“If you are not an APOR and you have no quarantine pass, you will be issued a traffic ticket,” he said.
Guadiz cited Section 7 of the memorandum circular stating that drivers not classified as APOR will be considered as driving without valid license.
He said penalties for violations are specified in the same section of the circular, or the guidelines in the enforcement of regulations issued by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) relative to the operation of LTO in the GCQ areas.
Guadiz further said PUVs without the special permit from LTFRB are considered ‘colorum’, those who violate the physical distancing of passengers are deemed overloading of passengers, while non-compliance to the sanitary measures is equivalent to reckless driving.
“We will strictly implement all measures as specified in the Bayanihan Act as we are trying to arrest the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019,” he said.
Meanwhile, Guadiz said the LTO district offices, as well as satellite district offices in BHF Plaza at Mayombo Dagupan City and the CB Mall in Urdaneta City, will resume operation on Wednesday.
He said their offices will handle all types of transactions, such as renewal of driver’s license, application for non-professional driver’s license and student permit, and registration and renewal of vehicle registration, contrary to LTO’s announcement last week that some of their services will not yet resume.
Guadiz also reminded the public that LTO will strictly implement health protocols, such as wearing of face masks and safe physical distancing.
A shoe disinfection area and thermal scanners will be placed at the entrance of their offices, as the security guard on duty will take the temperature of all clients entering the office, he said.
He further said that unlike before the Covid-19 pandemic where an employee was detailed at the LTO customer assistance desk, this time only the security guard will be staying at the entrance door.
This is part of the safety precautions adopted by LTO based on the Bayanihan Act.
“We will be very careful that not even one of the employees should get infected with the virus. Otherwise, the whole office will be shut down and all the staff will be placed under quarantine. The whole operation of the LTO district office will be jeopardized,” Guadiz said.
Office hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., however, they will set a cut-off for transactions at 4 p.m.
“We cannot afford overtime work now because of the transportation problem. We do not want our employees to go home late,” he added.
As in other government agencies, LTO offices will only attend to 50 percent of the usual daily transactions, with about 15 clients inside at a time. The rest will be given queuing numbers and will wait for their turn outside the LTO building. (PNA)
