BAGUIO CITY – The Cordillera office of the Land Transportation Office (LTO-CAR) recently opened a driving school to cater to applicants for the issuance of student driving permit as a requisite for the issuance of the required non-professional and eventually the professional driver’s license for them to be able to embrace driving as a livelihood.
LTO-CAR regional director Francis Ray Almora said that the operation of a driving school for qualified indigents and members of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) is in partnership with the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) which earlier offered some of its classrooms for the required 15-hour theoretical lessons for applicants of student driving permit.
He added that the driving school for indigents is pursuant to the provisions of Republic Act (RA) 10930 to educate applicants for issuance of student driving permit on the prevailing driving theories before being issued the permit to drive their motor vehicles.
The LTO-CAR official stated that the requirement for applicants of student permit to undergo the 15-hour theoretical training in an accredited private driving school and by a licensed driving instructor or an established LTO driving school, will professionalize driving in the country because previous studies show that the root cause of road crashes are due to human error.
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At present, the LTO-CAR was issued the provisional authority for a private driving school to conduct the mandatory 15-hour theoretical training for applicants of student permit aside from the presence of the LTO driving school in partnership with YMCA.
Director Almora said that indigents must present to the LTO a certificate of indigency from the barangay or the local social welfare and development office for them to be accommodated in the available slots for the required theoretical training.
After an individual will be issued a student permit upon the completion of the 5-hour theoretical training that is good for 3 days, he will be required to undergo an 8-hour practical driving prior to the issuance of a non-professional driver’s license.
According to him, private driving schools must have a 40-meter by 40-meter area that will serve as a practice area for individuals undergoing practical driving so that roads and streets will not be used for practice driving thus avoiding danger to motorists and pedestrians alike.
Earlier, the LTO suspended the issuance of student driver’s permit effective July 1, 2020 in preparation for the implementation of the required 15-hour theoretical training and that the issuance of such permit will resume on August 3, 2020 with the new requirement.
Director Almora disclosed the LTO driving school can accommodate a maximum of 14 trainees at one time, thus, bookings must be done at the earliest possible time to ensure that potential applicants will have slots in their desired schedules.
He cited that efforts are being done to accredit more private driving schools that are required to electronically upload to the LTO system the applicants qualified to be issued student permits to ensure that trainees will be issued their permits soonest.
By Hent
Photo by Armando M. Bolislis
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