Council goes strict on vehicle plates

CEBU, Philippines - Motorists with uncared for or dirty plates beware!

The Cebu City Council yesterday requested the road law enforcers of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and the City Traffic Operations Management (CITOM) enforcers to apprehend drivers of vehicles with uncared for plates.

Councilor Alvin Arcilla successfully convinced his fellow city legislators to support his move for the strict implementation of Section 18 (2) of the Transportation and Traffic Code which provides that “the number plates of vehicles shall be kept clean and cared for and shall be firmly affixed to the motor vehicle in such a manner as will make it entirely visible and always legible.”

Arcilla observed that there are many vehicles whose number plates are no longer readable or covered with dark translucent material such as plastic, plexiglass and polycarbonate that makes the vehicle’s plate numbers unreadable.

According to Arcilla, there is a need for LTO and CITOM road enforcers to strictly enforce the law to prevent those involved in vehicular accidents or criminal elements from fleeing without being identified.

Every time LTO road enforcers conduct checkpoint operations, several motorists are apprehended for covering their vehicle’s number plates with dark glasses that cannot be read, particularly at night.

Aside from those motorists who cover their vehicle’s plates, others violate the law by not using their original plates in front of their vehicles, and instead use commemorative plates like PNP 111, LTO 100, PMA-PNPA, and several others.

LTO-7 Regional Director Raul Aguilos said the commemorative plates cannot be used to replace the original plate of the vehicle, although motorists can use it in tandem with the original ones.

Aguilos further said that vanity plates like “MAYOR” are allowed to be used in lieu of the original plate if it is registered with the LTO, but it is only allowed in front of the vehicles.

— (FREEMAN)