On license renewal

I went to renew my driver’s license a few weeks ago. It took me about two hours. (This is elapsed time not including lunch hour) I have no idea why mine took so long because other people got theirs between 30 minutes to an hour.

As I hate filling up forms, I went to their website (www.lto.gov.ph) to see if I could fill one out online. I did but I had to print it out and bring it to the LTO office. Nevertheless, I was well informed of the requirements and procedures. I then went to window 1 where I was given their standard blue application form and then went to window 7, which accepted my previously downloaded form from the web.

After the medical and drug tests that are now compulsory (php 350 for both, the renewal only cost php180), I was ready for my picture to be taken. For some reason, they took my picture twice. (Tom Cruise I am not, though my mom thinks of me a dead ringer for Jan Michael Vincent. No! Mom does not take drugs.) I was told one was for central files and the other for the Makati database.

It seems there are still some kinks in the system. As in any system implementation it takes a few months to work out the bugs.

The queue number display that the website talked about was installed but not working. I do like to know what my number in the queue is and when I can estimate to be served.

I hope when the database is fully scrubbed, that I can apply online with my driver’s license and the form is filled in automatically. Maybe with a properly designed database and network configuration, the need for double photos would not be necessary. (First one is free, I charge for the second)

And maybe I can go to accredited medical and drug testing centers nearer to my place of work than just near the LTO office. This of course may be wishful thinking as it takes a lot to be accredited to perform the medical test and drug test.

For some reason, the verification of my license took some time. Hopefully when the database is fully scrubbed, I can apply online and then wait a few days or hours before a confirmation number is sent to me via email that I have been vetted and cleared to take the medical and drug tests. This is added scope that maybe in Phase 2.

My Two Cents: The overall experience was positive. No rude tellers, and I got my license on the same day versus the 6 months and 3 renewals of my temporary license I went through before. Also, I am sure transparency is up, as I was no longer deluged with fixers.

I was however quite disturbed that the LTO has suspended emissions testing for public vehicles and not for private vehicles till January 2003. (Sure hope I read it wrong) Hmmm…the cause of high lead levels on EDSA is private vehicles? The logic escapes me.

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Dickson Co is CFO (C is for Cheap) of Dfnn, Intelligent Wave and HatchAsia, for comments and suggestions, please email [email protected]