No license renewals for those with pending MMDA violations - LTO

Beginning February, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) will no longer approve license renewals by motorists who have unsettled traffic violations with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA). The scheme, which is part of the two agencies' interconnectivity program, seeks to further improve road safety, among others, by identifying drivers who have bad driving histories. LTO chief Reynaldo Berroya said on Wednesday the new system will ensure that no driver's license holder or motor vehicle owner shall be allowed to transact with the LTO if they have unsettled MMDA violations. Berroya said the agreement can also address the practice of some drivers who, instead of settling their fines, will just apply for a duplicate license. "Now drivers whose names are in the alarm list will not be able to outsmart the MMDA and will be forced to pay the fines," the LTO chief said. The main feature of the interconnectivity project between the MMDA and LTO is to raise an alarm on specific drivers. "With the system we can now make sure that drivers will settle their violations and pay the fines at the MMDA," said Chairman Bayani Fernando during the formal signing of the agreement at the LTO head office in Quezon City. The project will be using the MMDA-integrated Law Enforcement System (ILES), a web base facility that shall allow the MMDA to interconnect with the Department of Transportation/LTO – information technology system online. Ramon Reyes, Stradcom vice president for operation and planning, said the new IT platform has already been tested by the MMDA and LTO and will be ready within two weeks. Once the system is in place the MMDA, the government agency tasked to administer and implement traffic enforcement operations in Metro Manila, can upload apprehension records to the LTO-IT system. The LTO-MMDA Interconnectivity project is part of the continuous efforts of the MMDA and LTO to make sure that all apprehensions made by MMDA enforcers will be settled. "Efficiency is the main feature of the program… If we can make the settlement of fines efficient then we can efficiently collect the necessary fine which is one source of income of the government," Fernando explained. - GMANews.TV