LTO hit over poor quality of licenses

MANILA, Philippines – Public transport groups slammed the Land Transportation Office (LTO) for issuing poor quality driver’s license cards that are prone to fading and deterioration.

The United Transport Alliance Koalisyon (1-UTAK) and the Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (PISTON) said the LTO could oblige the supplier of the plastic license cards to improve their quality and avoid inconvenience to drivers.

A number of drivers had complained that the driver’s license cards issued by the LTO are of such poor quality that pictures and pertinent information easily fade, making it difficult and sometimes impossible to read, causing problems for both motorists and traffic enforcers.

Lawyer Vigor Mendoza, 1-UTAK president, said he does not know how many of the almost 10 million driver’s license holders have experienced problems that he himself has encountered.

Mendoza said his group is scheduled to meet with LTO chief Alberto Suansing to discuss the problem regarding hard-to-read licenses with faded pictures and blurry printed information.

“Actually, even my driver’s license had the same problem. In fact, I was accosted once by an enforcer who had trouble verifying the information in my license,” Mendoza said.

He said the issue of substandard driver’s license ID cards is one of their concerns that needs to be addressed although he admitted that the issue is being overtaken by other matters concerning land transportation.

“If majority of the 10 million motorists have had the same problem with their licenses then it could become a major problem,” he added.

George San Mateo, PISTON secretary-general, said the LTO would be the agency to solve the problem of some drivers.

“The LTO or the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) should ask the supplier to improve the quality of the driver’s license, but it should not be used as a reason to increase driver’s license fees,” San Mateo said.

In an earlier statement, John Garcia, spokesman for AMPI Mega, admitted they have been aware of the problem for two years now, although he said the problem is with the materials supplied to them.

Garcia even advised all driver’s license holders not to place their licenses in plastic jackets.