LTO price cap for driving lessons takes effect today

MANILA, Philippines — The Land Transportation Office (LTO) will start enforcing its price cap for driving lessons today.

The LTO will implement a memorandum that sets the maximum prescribed rates for theoretical and practical driving courses, LTO chief Jay Art Tugade said yesterday.

He added that driving schools have committed to bringing more affordable driver’s education lessons for the public, following complaints of exorbitant prices earlier this year.

Under Memorandum Circular 2023-2390, driving schools will be allowed to charge a maximum of P1,000 for theoretical driving courses, both for motorcycles and four-wheeled vehicles.

For practical driving courses, the maximum fee was set at P2,500 for motorcycles, up to P4,000 for light vehicles and P8,000 for heavy vehicles such as buses, trucks and other articulated vehicles.

This is for the standard eight-hour practical driving course and the 15-hour theoretical driving course, which the LTO said is sufficient to educate and test the skills of an applicant.

Practical and theoretical driving courses are required for new student driver and driver’s license applicants under Republic Act 10930, which extended the validity of licenses in the country.

The Omnibus Guidelines on the Accreditation, Supervision and Control of Driving Institutions, and the Standardization of Driver and Conductor’s Education also set heavy sanctions and penalties on driving schools that will fail to comply with the new regulations.

This includes a P50,000 fine and six-month suspension for the first offense, P100,000 penalty and one-year suspension for the second offense and revocation of their accreditation on the third offense.