LTO’s backlogs on issuance of motorcycle license plates now at 11M; driver’s licenses at 92K

There are more than 11 million motorcycle license plates and 92,000 driver’s licenses that have yet to be produced and issued to intended recipients, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) said Thursday.

In a Super Radyo dzBB interview, LTO chief Assistant Secretary Jose Arturo Tugade said among the reasons for the backlogs in the printing of driver’s licenses is the defective laser engraving machines found in some of their district and extension offices in provinces.

“Ang fault naman po ng ahensya natin is hindi tayo nagkaron ng mga sufficient stock para ma-address ‘yung mga potential future breakdown ng mga equipment natin,” he said.

(The fault of our agency is that we did not have sufficient stocks to address the potential future breakdown of our equipment.)

Tugade said they expect the malfunctioning machines to be repaired before February 1, 2023.

Pending the issuance of driver's license cards, he said affected LTO offices have to provide motorists with temporary licenses in paper first.

He also said LTO has backlogs on replacement plates, but has yet to provide data as to how big exactly. — Giselle Ombay/RSJ, GMA Integrated News