DAGUPAN CITY -- The Land Transportation Office (LTO) in the Ilocos region has opened another satellite office here to cater to the issuance and renewal of driver's licenses and facilitate transactions in its district office.
The new satellite office is located on the second floor of BHF Plaza in Barangay Mayombo.
"The renewal of driver's license and issuance of student permit will still be catered by the district office. However, our clients have the option to transact at the satellite office if they want faster transactions. There is a complete facility even an LTO accredited medical clinic in the new satellite district office," LTO-Ilocos Director Teofilo Guadiz III said in an interview Wednesday, February 5.
Guadiz said they thought of opening an LTO satellite office as the Dagupan City district office is one of the districts with the biggest number of clientele being served daily.
The first LTO district office in the Ilocos region to have a satellite office is LTO Urdaneta City. Its satellite office is located at the CB Mall.
Meanwhile, the implementation of the new procedures in the issuance of the driver's license was moved to March 2020 from January.
"The needed equipment is still being installed at the different LTO district offices all over the country. Basically, the implementation was moved to give more time for transition," Guadiz said.
Under the new rules, an applicant for a student permit needs to attend at least 15 hours of classroom instructions and eight hours of practical training. Written and practical examinations will then be given.
For the renewal of the driver's license, the applicant would be required to undergo eight hours of seminar.
But if he had previously committed road safety violations, he will be required to undergo training of four to eight hours depending on the violation committed, in addition to the penalty incurred.
Guadiz said the LTO will be accrediting driving academies starting this month.
Driving academy, he said, was conceptualized by the LTO to help the agency in giving training to driver's license applicants.
"We will farm out the training to the driving schools within the provinces. The driving academy will handle the 15 hours training, as well as the eight hours of practical training. But the examination will be handled by LTO," he said. (PNA)