Road safety advocates back LTMS implementation

MANILA, Philippines —  Road safety, transport and digitalization advocates have thrown their support behind the Commission on Audit and the COA’s push for the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to fully implement the P8.2-billion Land Transportation Management System (LTMS) to shield motorists from payment of unnecessary computer fees.

Augustus Ferreria, president of the Automobile Association Philippines (AAP), agreed with the COA in pressing the LTO to utilize the LTMS to modernize the processing of transactions at LTO field offices nationwide.

“AAP endorses the full implementation of LTMS. The system brings efficient public service not just to our members, but more importantly to the country’s motorists,” Ferreria said.

He said the LTMS provides a “corruption-free environment that can enhance the experience of owning a motor vehicle in the Philippines.”

Diolito Inosanto Jr., president of the Federated Land Transport Organization of the Philippines, said they supported the COA’s position that the insistence of LTO district and field offices to use another system for transactions entailed unnecessary fees from the motorists.

“The removal of computer fees and the improved efficiency provided by LTMS in the registration renewal process has been beneficial to motorists. The system is an effective modernization project of the Marcos administration,” Inosanto said.

Martin de los Angeles, vice president of the Philippine Transport Monitor, said the use of the LTMS also eased the transactions at LTO offices.

“We have all felt the improvements brought by LTMS (with) faster driver’s licenses and motor vehicle renewals. We are glad that the audit report of the transportation department recognizes the need for 100 percent usage of the LTMS, especially since it is the government-owned system which brings millions of savings to motorists,” De los Angeles said.

Carlo Reyes, chief executive officer of Vox Dei Protocol Systems Inc., also expressed support for the LTMS.

“The system allows motor vehicle owners and driver’s license card holders to process renewals and registrations quickly. Having the system in place is a leap in the modernization of the LTO,” Reyes said.

The groups issued the call after the COA released its 2023 annual audit report on the Department of Transportation on Dec. 2, which carried findings of auditors on the charging of fees totaling P203.1 million for the use of the old IT system of Stradcom Corp. in the last four months of 2023 despite the completion of the P8.227- billion LTMS.

State auditors noted that the LTO management previously assured the House committee on transportation that full utilization of the LTMS would be implemented not later than Aug. 30, 2023.