Motor vehicle registration seen to grow 11% this year

Motor vehicle registration and drivers’ licensing transactions are forecast to grow by 11 percent and six percent, respectively, this year from their 2001 levels. Last year, motor vehicle registration volume totaled six million while drivers’ licensing reached four million.

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) is confident that it can cope with the projected increase and even provide better service through the computerization project dubbed LTO-Information Technology Project.

"The computerization program will transform the LTO into a modernized agency that provides better public service in terms of delivery, accuracy and efficiency," said LTO chief Roberto Lastimoso.

Stradcom president and chief executive officer Jose Chua, who heads the P3.4 billion private-sector funded computerization project, said projected growth rates for this year may even be surpassed. The computerization program is using a build-own-operate scheme under the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) law.

With the full implementation of the computerization project, the LTO will be capable of processing about 12 million transactions a year, thus providing the government with a 25 percent increase in revenues.

President Arroyo has hailed the LTO-IT project as the model for computerizing government services. It covers the development of an integrated IT system that will inter-connect about 250 LTO offices nationwide, automate and integrate its core business processes, such as driver’s licensing and motor vehicle registration and enable online transaction processing.

So far, 30 LTO offices in the National Capital Region have been operating under the computerized environment. The NCR accounts for a third of total LTO transactions nationwide. After an IT system has been tested, the LTO issues a certificate of acceptance of an IT facility (CAIF). At present, 23 LTO offices in Regions 3 and 4 have been issued CAIFs while six offices in Region 7 are awaiting issuance of the CAIF after passing the operational testing. About 37 LTO offices nationwide are going through the live run, processing transactions using the IT system. To date, automated transactions cover 70 percent of the total volume of transactions. The remaining LTO offices in other regions are being prepared for automation, which includes site rehabilitation and system installation.

"The project should encourage the private sector to explore the possibility of financing and developing other projects. This will allow the government to improve its operations and ensure the efficient delivery of services to the public without having to spend its own money," stressed Chua.

The LTO-IT system will enable future connectivities with other institutions. The network will establish information highway interconnectivities with government agencies, the private sector and the general public. Eventually, the use of Web-enabled technologies will allow the public to transact with LTO through the Internet.

One important connectivity is the interface with the Law Enforcement and Traffic Adjudication System (LETAS) and the Manufacturers, Assemblers, Importers and Dealers Reporting System (MAIDRS).

LETAS will allow connectivities with other law enforcement agencies like Philippine National Police-Traffic Management Group and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.