BAGUIO CITY – The City Council approved on first reading a proposed ordinance implementing the no plate, no travel policy in the city and providing the prescribed penalties for violators of the city legislative measure.
The ordinance authored by Councilor Benny O. Bomogao states it will be a policy of the city government to prohibit motor vehicles from plying the roads in the city without attaching their motor vehicle plate numbers provided that those motor vehicles whose plate numbers were confiscated due to traffic violations must show their temporary operator’s permit or traffic citation ticket to the apprehending officers.
Further, the ordinance stipulates those motor vehicles with no plate numbers issued by the Land Transportation Office (LTO) must show their conduction stickers or temporary plate numbers and with the corresponding travel authority issued by the LTO.
Under the proposed ordinance, any person found violating the provisions of the measure shall be fined P500.
The ordinance notes there had been numerous reports that many motor vehicles ply the roads of the city without attaching their motor vehicle registration plates to avoid being flagged down by traffic enforcers.
According to the proponent, there is a need for a motor vehicle owner to display their motor vehicle license plate number as it is the identification of motor vehicles.
The ordinance claims the license plate number could identify a motor vehicle during accidents among other incidents that the same are involved so that the owners of the same could be traced and for them to answer for whatever liabilities that they may have committed.
Some of the reasons are being vouched by motor vehicle owners without the license plates attached to their motor vehicles is that the dealers of the vehicles have not yet released the license plates as the LTO has not produced the same.
However, the LTO recently issued an advisory that there are certain years that the license plates of registered motor vehicles had not been issued to the buyers but the same had already been addressed, thus, motor vehicle owners should closely coordinate with the dealers of their vehicles to facilitate the release of their license plate numbers or whatever updates on the processing of the same for them to be updated on what to inform the apprehending officers when they are flagged down for being inside a motor vehicle that has no license plate number.
The LTO claimed if the registered motor vehicle plying the city roads has no attached license plate number, the conduction sticker can be used but must be attached to the same while awaiting the release of the license plate number.
Earlier, the LTO implemented the no plate, no travel policy around the country to ensure motor vehicles must have attached license plates when on the roads to prevent the same from being used for criminal activities.
The proposed ordinance was referred to a committee for study and recommendation whether or not the same will be passed on second and third readings.
By Dexter A. See
