‘No plate, no travel’ policy to start mid-August

Local

STACKS of unclaimed license plates continue to sit in Land Transportation Office Central Visayas (LTO 7) district offices in Central Visayas while thousands of vehicles remain on the road without them.

The agency announced on Wednesday, July 30, that it will begin strict implementation of the “No Plate, No Travel” policy by mid-August, warning all vehicle owners, including tricycle operators, to claim their plates or face penalties.

The policy, also referred to as “No Registration, No Travel,” requires that all motor vehicles be registered and equipped with an official license plate before they are allowed to operate on public roads.

LTO 7 Director Glen Galario said the policy applies even to those still using temporary or outdated plates. Violators may be fined P5,000.

Galario said plates issued from 2018 onwards have long been available, while those for vehicles registered in 2017 and earlier only began arriving recently due to previous manufacturing and logistics delays.

Some of these older plates are still in transit from the LTO’s central office in Manila to various locations in Central Visayas.

Over 100,000 license plates have already been delivered to the region, according to Galario, but a significant number remain unclaimed.

He said all remaining plates, especially those from 2017 and earlier, must be released to vehicle owners no later than October, in line with LTO central office directives.

“Nanawagan gyud mi sa mga owner nga kuhaon na ang ilang plaka, naa naman. Ang strict implementation namo sa ‘No plate, No Travel’ mid August para gyud mapugos ang tawo kay dugay na ang problema sa plaka,” Galario said.

Galario noted that many unclaimed plates are for tricycles-for-hire under the Tricycle Operators and Drivers Association (TODA), particularly in cities like Mandaue.

He attributed the delays to lack of awareness, incomplete documentation, and a disconnect between current drivers and the original vehicle registrants.

“Sa TODA wala pay plaka ang uban. Magpatabang mi sa records, sa katung TODA units kay need namo ang engine number, MV file para ig encode namo sa amo system kung wala pa ilang plaka, kami nay moassign sa ila,” he said.

To address this, Galario paid a courtesy visit to Mandaue City Mayor Thadeo “Jonkie” Ouano and sought the city’s assistance in reaching tricycle operators.

He said the LTO needs help accessing records so they can assign plates based on engine numbers and motor vehicle file numbers.

Vehicle owners are encouraged to verify the availability of their plates through the official tracker website, ltotracker.ph, or by visiting the nearest LTO branch.

“There’s no reason they can’t get their plates. They’re already available, but the owners themselves really need to go to the LTO and verify their records,” Galario said.

He reiterated the importance of license plates as official vehicle identification that helps establish ownership, ensure registration compliance, and assist law enforcement in tracking vehicles on the road.(MyTVCebu)