AGRI Party-list Rep. Wilbert T. Lee has urged the Department of Transportation – Land Transportation Office (DOTr-LTO) to automatically extend the validity of the driver’s licenses for 12 months after a Quezon City court issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) halting the LTO from receiving 5.2 million plastic cards from the successful bidder, Banner PlastiCard.
“The affected drivers should not suffer because of this development. Hindi naman nila kasalanan ito,” stressed Lee.
“Automatically extending the validity of the driver’s license is the most rational and most practicable thing to do.”
The Bicolano lawmaker on Aug. 16 filed House Resolution No. 1203 urging the DOTr-LTO to automatically extend the validity of driver’s licenses of those affected by the TRO.
Since 2015, the government has reported delays and backlogs in the issuance of driver’s licenses due to legal cases involving the procurement of license cards.
In the Resolution, Lee pointed out that “despite the public paying their individual licenses, the government did not deliver.”
Aside from urging the DOTR and LTO to give an automatic 12-month extension for all expiring driver’s licenses of all qualified drivers, he also called on the agencies involved to address the issues in the procurement of license cards to prevent similar delays in the future.
“This will give the DOTr and LTO ample time to resolve pending procurement issues or to study viable alternatives while avoiding further inconvenience to the public. Sa ganitong paraan, Winner Tayo Lahat.”
