Amid GCQ, applicants double at LTO but transactions are halved

The Land Transportation Office had to cut down the number of transactions it conducts per day so that physical distancing could be observed inside its facilities.

At LTO's central office in Quezon City, chief Mercenita Paras said the agency usually conducts 700 transactions a day before the pandemic, but now the daily number is around 250 to 300 to comply with safety protocols.

“Kasi we have 700 transactions normally po eh before the pandemic and now ‘di po namin kaya ‘yon dahil ang area po namin is very limited if we’re going to maintain the social distancing na one meter. Ngayon hanggang 300 or 250, talagang na-half po,” Paras said in Mark Salazar’s report on “24 Oras” on Wednesday.

The report noted that the LTO said that the number of applicants lining up that day was about double the number they would usually have, as many commuters have taken to motorcycles due to the lack of public transportation.

Earlier, long lines of applicants formed around several LTO offices as it resumed operations on Wednesday. According to the report, some satellite offices could only process up to 10 transactions per hour.

To avoid long lines, the LTO also urged the public to make an online appointment through its Facebook page. — Ma. Angelica Garcia/BM, GMA News