New policies for driver’s license take effect November 9

CEBU, Philippines - As part of its agency-wide reform program, the Land Transportation Office is set to implement the revised rules governing the issuance of driver’s licenses this coming November 9.

“The new rules will be implemented on November 9,” said LTO-7 Director Arnel Tancinco yesterday.

Last October 12, transport leaders in Cebu gathered in a public hearing and suggested several revisions to the proposed rules.

In a statement, Secretary Jun Abaya of the Department of Transportation and Communications said the revised rules will better ensure the fitness and capability of license card holders to drive.

The application process will also be streamlined to make it more convenient to the public.

The new rules will cover all four types of licenses issued by the LTO, namely:  professional driver’s licenses or PDLs, non-professional driver’s licenses or NPDLs, student’s permits or SPs, and conductor’s licenses or CLs.

The LTO is imposing higher standards and requirements for professional driver’s license applicants, with a view to restricting the industry to truly qualified drivers.

LTO is also tightening its eligibility criteria by disqualifying PDL applicants who have had two or more citations for reckless driving during the validity period of their existing license.

This is means to incentivize disciplined, law-abiding, and orderly driving among would-be PDL applicants.

For the convenience of applicants, the LTO will begin accepting medical certificates issued by any duly-licensed and practicing physician, instead of restricting these to accredited doctors stationed at LTO offices.

This will allow applicants to have themselves examined by a doctor of their own choosing, at a time and place convenient to them.

However, the revised rules require that a medical certificate submitted during application should have been issued no more than 15 days prior or it will no longer be accepted.

The LTO will also implement a merit system to incentivize good behavior and disciplined driving among license holders.

Currently, licenses have a three-year validity period reckoned from the holder’s date of birth.

Under this new system, a PDL or NPDL holder who has not committed any violation during the three-year validity period will be entitled to a five-year validity period for his/her next license upon renewal.

Those who have committed a violation will be eligible for the regular three-year validity period only upon renewal.

Lectures or seminars prior to the written and practical examinations will no longer be conducted. Instead, LTO will release reviewers containing all possible questions to the public. The reviewers will be given to those who are issued SPs, and will be made available to anyone at LTO offices and on the websites of the DOTC and the LTO.

Applicants who fail the Basic Driving Theory Test and/or the Practical Driving Test twice shall not be allowed to apply for the same within a year.

An applicant who fails either of the tests for the third time will not be allowed to apply within two years.

Lastly, the minimum age requirement for SPs will be raised from the current 16 years old to 17 years old. The minimum age for NPDL applicants will also be raised from 17 years old to 18 years old.  (FREEMAN)