Another strong start?

Starting today, the LTO will strictly enforce its "no registration, no travel" policy, aimed at vehicles who ply the roads without license plates. All vehicles without plates will be asked to stop and present their Certificate of Registration  and Official Receipt which will prove that their vehicle is registered. But a fine of five thousand pesos will still be imposed. If they cannot present an OR or CR, they have to present several other documents to prove that the vehicle is theirs, such as a receipt from the dealer. But this entails an even heavier fine. If documents still cannot be presented, then the vehicle may be impounded.

According to the LTO, there is no more reason not to have license plates as there no longer exists a backlog in supplying the plates to dealers. Owners have been blaming dealers why their cars have no plates. There are in fact so many cars without plates on the streets, forcing the MMDA to use their conduction stickers as the basis for the number coding system.

The new plates have several security features compared to the old ones. There are four digits instead of the old three-digit system. A bar code specific to the plate is located at the upper left corner. This would be recorded on a database with the LTO so they know exactly where these plates should be installed. The old practice of switching plates to avoid the number coding would no longer work, if they get caught. And finally, the bolts used to secure the plates to the vehicle need a proprietary tool to install them. Any attempt to remove the bolts without the proper tool would result in destroying the bolt, indicating that it has been tampered with.

I'm sure the LTO will put up a show in the coming weeks, with citations left and right. The question is, can they sustain it? And, will they give in to those arrogant politicians and rich people who really don't care about rules on the road? That I have to see. It is not uncommon for new policies to be strictly enforced, then as time passes by, they just fizzle out. Another Filipino trait that has to be changed, if even possible. And I wouldn't discount the resourcefulness of the Filipino when it comes to skirting rules and policies. A tool to remove the plates may just become available in the black market, allowing plates to be interchanged once again. I just hope the LTO is prepared for such eventualities.

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