By August this year, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) is planning to conduct an all-out operation against motor vehicles with expired registration and those which it described as no longer safe and fit to be on the road.

LTO Chief, Assistant Secretary Vigor D. Mendoza II said the aggressive operation is needed amid the increasing number of road accidents due to motor vehicles with mechanical defects and other problems that threaten the safety of road users.

“We are already finalizing our campaign plan and coordination with concerned agencies in implementing the intensified campaign against motor vehicles with expired registration and those unsafe and unfit motor vehicles on the roads,” said Mendoza.

Mendoza has already issued a memorandum detailing the guidelines of the law enforcement on unregistered or with delinquent registrations and motor vehicles which are unsafe and unfit to drive.

The memorandum was dated June 16 and Mendoza said they plan to start the aggressive operation by August this year.

“This should serve as a notice to motor vehicles to comply with your obligation to keep the registration of your motor vehicles updated otherwise it would need to go to a more stringent process before renewal.” said Mendoza.

He said the road worthiness inspection done in accredited private vehicle motor inspection centers play a key role in informing owners of the safety of their respective vehicles.

Based on the memorandum, motor vehicles with expired registration will be impounded until such time that they are registered after undergoing roadworthiness inspection citing the Joint Administrative Order 2014-01 and the Republic Act 4136 as the basis of the strict penalty that includes a P10,000 fine.

Unsafe and unfit motor vehicles could also be impounded based on the same laws until all the requirements for them to be safe to be driven are complied.

“For enforcement purposes, this includes vehicles with clearly defective parts such as broken windshields, exposed or hanging parts, bald tires, excessive emission, or major visible structural damage,” the memo read.

In 2023, the LTO revealed that more than 60 percent of motor vehicles in the country have expired registration, most of them involving non-renewal of registration for multiple years.

Mendoza said registration and renewal of motor vehicle registration is necessary as it is one of the best ways to check the road worthiness.

“Road safety is a matter of life and death. On the part of the LTO, we are actively pursuing preventive measures through interventions to keep all road users safe,” said Mendoza.

“And included in this is our campaign against these kinds of vehicles. So we appeal to delinquent motor vehicles to do the right thing because it is your safety and safety of your family which are at stake,” he added.