LTO to closely monitor violations, improve driver education for 10-year license program

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) said it will improve the monitoring of drivers' violations as well as their education in driving to ensure that the issuance of the 10-year driver’s license is not abused.

In a statement on Saturday, the LTO said its Land Transportation Management System (LTMS) and the Driver Education Program (DEP) have been enhanced with the help of its IT partner Dermalog.

According to LTO officials, the efficient use of the online management system enables the agency to closely monitor the performance of driver’s license holders, including their violations and penalties.

This will allow LTO to assess whether a motorist with a valid driver’s license is worthy of a 10-year-validity license.

The LTO also envisioned that proper driver education will improve driving habits and driving performance of motorists, which is the basis of a 10-year-valid license.

LTO Director Assistant Secretary Edgar Galvante issued two memorandums directing regional offices to enroll all accredited driving schools and instructors to the new drivers licensing system of the LTMS.

Aside from this, Galvante also ordered them to transition an additional 33 satellite offices to the new drivers licensing system.

Driving schools, their representatives, and accredited instructors were also required to go to the LTO office nearest to their location and bring their accreditation certificates for the enrollment activity.

A technical site support deployed in the area shall facilitate in the enrollment, the LTO said.

“All Regional Directors are directed to ensure that all driving schools and instructors under their jurisdiction are enrolled on or before August 30, 2020,” the memorandum said.

In areas where LTMS is not yet available, officers will scan and upload the Driving Course Certificate of Completion when processing license transactions and make sure these certificates are authentic.

After the first 24 offices went live in July, some 129 LTO offices have been scheduled for an upgrade to the LTMS, with the Transportation Departments’ Road IT Infrastructure program that is envisioned to be the network base of the system.

Based on the memorandum dated August 24, the LTMS should be already operational in the 31 offices: NCR East, NCR West, Regions 1, 2, 3, 4a, 4b, 8, 12, and Driver License Renewal Offices in Ayala MRT, Ayala ATC, Tiendesitas, SM Manila, Chinatown, Southwoods, Metro East, Gen. Trias, Dasma, Las Piñas and Olongapo.

On August 31, more deployments of the system are scheduled in 29 LTO offices in Regions 3, 4, 4B, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12.

On September 7, deployments will also happen in 36 other LTO offices in NCR East, Regions 1, 2, 3, 4A, 5, 6, 7, 9, and 12.

The last batch for this period will be on September 14 in 33 other LTO offices in NCR West, Regions 1, 2, 3, 4A, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14-CAR, and 15.

“District Office Chiefs are directed to transition their respective offices to use the Land Transport Management System (LTMS). Other batches of district offices will follow as soon as the preparations for the LTMS have been completed,” Galvante said in the memorandum. —Joviland Rita/KG, GMA News