(MANILA BULLETIN)

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) is preparing its so-called "plan B" even as it is waiting for the decision of a Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) in connection with the temporary restraining order (TRO) it imposed on the delivery of driver’s license plastic cards. 

This was bared by LTO Chief Vigor Mendoza II during the House Committee on Appropriations' deliberations on the proposed P214-billion budget of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) for 2024. The LTO is an attached agency of the DOTr. 

According to Mendoza, the RTC's 20-day TRO on the plastic cards will expire on Wednesday, Sept. 6. 

Should the injunction continue, the LTO will carry out its plan B, Mendoza told the solons. He said this involves extending the validity of existing drivers' licenses as well as the issuance of electronic licenses or e-licenses. 

“We are now coming up with [an] alternative plan including the electronic licensing but we are very confident na yung TRO po ay hindi matutuloy (we are very confident that the TRO will be lifted)," he said. 

"We are now putting in place the electronic licensing and of course, ang pinakamadali ho sa amin yung (the easiest option for us is the) extension because not everybody yet has the electronic license,” explained Mendoza. 

As of last July, the backlog for drivers' licenses stood at over 1.7 million. 

Since 2015, the government has reported delays and backlogs in the issuance of driver’s licenses due to legal cases involving the procurement of license cards.  

In an order dated Aug. 15, the Quezon City RTC Branch 215 issued a TRO against the LTO, effectively suspending the delivery of plastic license cards for 20 days.  

Banner PlastiCard was the winning bidder for the supply of the plastic cards.