Photo credit: LTO

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) has expressed its respect for the decision made by a Quezon City court, which issued a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) pertaining to the contract award for the production of plastic cards used in the printing of physical driver's licenses. The court's decision has presented a significant challenge to the LTO's ongoing efforts to clear a substantial backlog of physical driver's licenses.

The LTO, led by Department of Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista, had been diligently working to address the backlog, which currently stands at approximately 1.7 million licenses as of this month. Despite this setback, the LTO remains steadfast in its commitment to abide by the legal proceedings surrounding the matter.

Secretary Jaime Bautista expressed his concern about the delay's potential impact on the goal of completing the backlog by September of this year. The volume of applications for new licenses and license renewals continues to mount daily, underscoring the urgency of efficiently resolving this issue.

Acknowledging the potential consequences of a prolonged legal battle on the Filipino populace, the LTO is actively collaborating with the Department of Transportation to strategize ways to mitigate the effects of the court's decision on the agency's clients. The LTO's primary focus remains on serving the public interest and ensuring that the driver's license issuance process can resume smoothly at the earliest opportunity.