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LTO to roll out 10-year driver’s licenses for violation-free motorists by Oct. 2021


The Land Transportation Office (LTO) will be rolling out 10-year valid driver’s licenses by October 2021, but only those who have not committed violations will be entitled to get them.

“Ang pagpapalawig ng lisensya up to 10 years mangyayari ito starting October 2021. [Pero] hindi lahat ng driver’s license possessor makakapag-enjoy nitong 10-year validity ng license kung siya ay merong demerit points,” LTO chief Assistant Secretary Edgar Galvante said in a virtual briefing on Wednesday.

“Isa iitong incentive para sa mga sumusunod sa batas trapiko, walang mga violation,” Galvante said.

The 10-year valid driver’s license is contained in a provision in Republic Act No. 1093, signed into law in 2017, which states that “except for student permits, all drivers' licenses shall be valid for five years reckoned from the birthdate of the licensee, unless sooner revoked or suspended: Provided, however, That subject to Section 26 hereof, any holder of a professional or nonprofessional driver's license who has not committed any violation of Republic Act No. 4136 and other traffic laws, rules and regulations during the five -year period shall be entitled to a renewal of such license for 10 years, subject to the restrictions as may be imposed by the LTO."

To implement the law, the LTO devised a “demerit” system, in which a motorist accumulates “demerit points” depending on the gravity of his or her violation.

“[G]rave violation will cause a violator five demerit points, less grave three demerits points, ‘yung yung light naman one demerit point,” Galvante said.

“Kung ang [motorist] ay maka-accumulate ng several demerit points during the duration of the five-year validity of the license, maaring magkaroon ng imposition of fines and penalties kasama na ‘yung maaring required siya na magdaan siya sa reorientation as a driver,” he said.

“Hindi siya makakapag-enjoy ng kanyang pribilehiyo nang pagda-drive hanggat hindi nase-serve ‘yung penalty, which can range from suspension to even ma-revoke ang lisensya,” he added.

Violations will be recorded in the LTO’s system. When a motorist renews their license, they will be notified of the demerit points they have accumulated.

The LTO chief said the 10-year valid driver’s license aims to incentivize drivers who strictly observe traffic laws.

“Hopefully, with this measure mabawas-bawasan ang road crashes, road or traffic accident na nagka-cause ng injuries and even pagkamatay,” Galvante said. — BM, GMA News

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