LTO-Cotabato City: Number of driver’s license applicants, revenue down in Q1

COTABATO CITY  – Land Transportation officials here have revealed today that the number of applicants for driver’s license and renewal of motor registration have dramatically been reduced.

Land Transportation Office (LTO) officials said the absence of a vehicle emission testing center and lack of NC2 have led to the reduced number of registration renewals and new applicants for driver’s license.

Because of this, many motorcycle owners would rather not renew their motor vehicles registration record and try to avoid LTO and police implementing traffic rules and inspection of motor vehicle papers.

“Due to pandemic, we have a hard securing registration renewal, aside from lack of funds for is since our income as habal-habal driver was also affected,” Restuna Abubakar, habal-habal driver said.

Also because of pandemic, motor vehicle owners have a hard time getting emission tests since no single emission center is operating in the city.

Emission test is a pre-requirement in motor vehicle registration.

“No emission testing center here, so we just avoid traffic enforcers while we drive to haul passengers,” he added.

A technician of an emission center in Midsayap, North Cotabato admitted that most of their clients were from Cotabato City.

“First come first serve basis is the name of the game,” the technician said, adding that as early as 4 a.m. applicants of emission testing are already queuing in front of center.

He said for gasoline vehicle, the center is serving 48 units while from diesel emission tests can be performed to at least 72 units.

It’s been a while since the city has no registered emission center after several centers were shut down by the Department of Transportation due to policy violations.

For driver’s license applicants, a certificate from TESDA accredited driving school is required.

An applicant needs at least P10,000 to complete the whole process of driver’s license applications.

Because of this issue, the revenue of LTO Cotabato District has been affected due to lack of testing centers in the locality and the pandemic.

“Our collection had gone down to as much as 73 percent during the first quarter,” Sultan Abpi, LTO-Cotabato City OIC licensing Office.

Last year, he said, his office first quarter collection as reached P5 million as against this year’s collection during the same period which is less than P1 million.

Vicky Laviña, Cotabato City LT0 district head, said the government has programs intended for those who are really cannot afford to pay driver’s license requirements.

One of the requirements is a certificate from the barangay stating the applicant is really has not capacity to pay. (Ferdinandh Cabrera)