Central Visayas’ license plates backlog down from 600K to 10K

Local

THERE are only 10,235 vehicle license plates left in the Central Visayas backlog, a drop from over half a million, as the Land Transportation Office Central Visayas (LTO 7) continues to address the long-standing issue.

This achievement was announced during the opening of a new LTO 7 office in Consolacion, Cebu, on Monday, October 21.

LTO Chief Assistant Secretary Vigor Mendoza II led the inauguration of the new Consolacion office, which will bring vital LTO services such as license renewals and vehicle registrations closer to residents.

This latest office, located on the second floor of SM Consolacion, is the 39th LTO frontline office in Central Visayas and the seventh extension office under LTO 7.

The backlog, which once reached 670,000 unclaimed plates, which includes 530,000 for motorcycles and 140,000 for motor vehicles, had been a major issue since 2018.

Mendoza highlighted that the reduction in the backlog resulted from improved distribution processes, particularly by working closely with vehicle dealers to speed up the release of plates.

The remaining 10,000 plates are expected to be fully distributed by November.

LTO 7 Regional Director Glen Galario stated that coordination with dealers played a key role in the reduction, as dealers directly released the plates to clients.

He added that this approach allowed for quicker and more efficient distribution.

Mendoza also announced that the LTO plans to partner with local government units (LGUs) to expand the distribution network for plates and other LTO services.

This partnership aims to use barangay offices as additional pick-up points for vehicle owners, making the process more convenient.

Mendoza explained that the agency wants to provide motorists with various options for claiming their plates, whether through LTO offices, LGUs, or courier services.

Meanwhile, the new Consolacion office, which can accommodate up to 100 people at a time, will operate from 10:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily.

Mayor Teresa Alegado of Consolacion praised the new office as a significant development for the town, noting that it will provide residents with easier access to LTO services.

She also acknowledged the benefit of having more government offices in the area to help local businesses and individuals.

"Indeed, a lot of national government offices are now being housed here for our constituents to be given an ease in doing business," Alegado said.

This initiative aligns with the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista to make government services more accessible to the public.(MyTVCebu)