DOTr launches facility to expedite issuance of vehicle plate numbers

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Tuesday unveiled its own plate-manufacturing facility to expedite the issuance of vehicle plate numbers.

The new facility will enable the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to manufacture vehicular plate numbers with enhanced security features starting Wednesday.

The DOTr said the plant located at the central office of the LTO can produce up to 22,000 plates per day in its full operation.

The plant, launched during LTO's 106th anniversary, is part of the P978 million contract awarded to Trojan Computer Forms Manufacturing Corporation and JH Tonnjes EAST GmbH Joint Venture for the procurement of 775,000 pairs of motor vehicle plates and 1.7 million pieces of motorcycle plates to address plate requirements from July 1, 2016 and beyond.

However, LTO Assistant Secretary Edgar Galvante said the plates allotted for motorcycle parts will be converted to motor vehicle plate production due to a proposed legislation for differently-sized motorcycle plates.

The LTO chief added that the agency will issue special plates "only after the backlog on regular plates has been addressed."

The office reported a 3.8 million total backlog in motor vehicle plates from July 2016 to March 2018, whereas the backlog on motorcycle plates was pegged at 5.2 million in the same period.

The LTO said its plate-making facility is equipped with seven manual embossing machines, five hot foil stamping machines, and five radio frequency identification (RFID) printers delivered to the office last February.

The contract includes one more automated embossing machine expected to be installed by July 2018.

The automated unit, said to be capable of producing 11,200 plates per day on a two-shift schedule, is expected to make plate production "even faster,"  Galvante said. —KBK, GMA News