BAGUIO CITY – The Land Transportation Office (LTO) recently extended the validity of the registration of motor vehicles and expiring driver’s licenses until the end of September to ensure that motor vehicle owners and license holders will be able to renew the same without being subjected to penalties.
LTO-CAR regional director Francis Ray Almora stated that owners of motor vehicles with license plates ending in 7 and 8 and holders of driver’s license expiring this month will be given until the end of the month to renew their registration and licenses without fear of being penalized.
He added that the decision of the agency to extend the validity of the expiring registration of motor vehicles and driver’s licenses is due to the current glitches on the Land transportation Management Information system (LTMs) being experienced nationwide.
The LTO-CAR official advised motor vehicle owners and driver’s license holders not to be complacent with the prescribed extension as it is important for them to still register their vehicles or renew their licenses on time so as not to be caught in the glitches that will be encountered during the process.
On the other hand, Director Almora appealed to motor vehicle owners who are encountering difficulties in availing of the smoke emission test documents from the limited smoke emission testing centers that are operating to bear with the temporary inconveniences caused by the failure of some centers to be renewed their accreditation for certain violations.
According to him, there were some issues that were raised on the compliance of the private smoke emission testing centers to their area that warranted the conduct of validation and assessment by the LTO over the past several months.
However, Almora disclosed that most of the private smoke emission centers were found to be compliant with the standard area of operation while others were recommended to look for a wider area to transfer their operations before the grant of their renewal of their accreditation with the LTO.
He claimed that the renewal of the accreditation of some private smoke emission testing centers that already passed the standards of the agency were already submitted and awaiting the issuance of the same that is why motor vehicle owners should understand the present situation and bear with the inconveniences that they are currently encountering in availing of the required smoke emission before having the renewal of the registration of their motor vehicles.
He expressed hope that the said issue will be settled the soonest to prevent motor vehicle owners from suffering the inconveniences of having to look for operating private smoke emission testing centers and fall in line for a long period of time just to avail of the requires smoke emission test so that they can move on to the registration process.
Almora urged motorists to ensure that their motor vehicles have updated registration documents and for driver’s to have valid licenses when driving to prevent them from encountering problems once they will be apprehended by members of the flying squad and various enforcers from the different local government units in the places where they intend to travel.
