LAND Transportation Office Law Enforcement Service director Francis Almora assumes the post of regional director for the Land Transportation Office Cordillera (LTO-CAR) in an officer-in-charge capacity from outgoing regional director Robert Santiago following the formal turnover ceremonies in Baguio City.

In the turnover ceremonies presided by Department of Transportation (DOTr) and Railways for Road Transport and Infrastructure Undersecretary Richmond De Leon, Almora reiterated the need for LTO–CAR offices to level-up its services.

“The distribution of plates have started in the Cordillera and we would like to find out if these offices were able to come up with a scheme or procedure wherein this was properly and quickly distributed, aside from the processing and distribution of driver’s licenses in the region,” Almora said.

Almora added after the backlogs on license plates, LTO will focus on law enforcement related to road safety.

“We also observed the congestions near the offices of the LTO and we are looking at ways on how to remove this. We will also look at additional enforcement officers because enforcement is the start of transactions in the LTO so with proper enforcement, we will expect positive changes on the roads, discipline which would translate for better movement of people, we believe that this is where we should focus,” the newly appointed director stated.

The transfer of existing LTO offices in the region is also being studied to help reduce or even remove the clogging of traffic within the said offices.

Aside from plate backlogs and license processing, LTO-CAR’s leadership will also focus on the problem of colorum vehicles operating in the region.

“We will help implement programs to strengthen mass transport because the presence of colorums cannot be forever, and if there are legal lines servicing a road network, then this would rid colorum operations,” Almora added.