THE City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO) will continue accepting electronic drivers' licenses (EDLs) from motorists who are apprehended for traffic violations until October 31, in accordance with the mandate from the Land Transportation Office (LTO).
During the iSpeak media conference at City Hall of Davao Training Hall on July 21, CTTMO head Dionisio Abude mentioned, "Naa ta'y memorandum gi-provide sa LTO katong mga dili plastic license i-honor to siya until October 31, 2023 (The memorandum provided by LTO states that those with non-plastic licenses will be honored until October 31, 2023)."
An earlier circular memorandum, released in April, stated that holders of driver's licenses expiring on April 24 are not required to renew their licenses until October 31, and any penalties for late renewal will be waived.
The memorandum further mentioned, "All holders of DL cards expiring on April 24, 2023, onwards shall no longer be required to renew their licenses until October 31, 2023, or as soon as the DL cards become available for distribution to the public."
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) anticipates that the issuance of driver's licenses printed on plastic cards will return to normal within the next three to four months, with the first batch of procured plastic cards expected to arrive by the end of July.
However, Abude clarified that while they support the implementation of EDLs, they will conduct orientations for their enforcers on how to verify the authenticity of the licenses presented by drivers.
He said they would work on enhancing the capabilities of verifying paper-based licenses that were temporarily disseminated to drivers seeking to renew their licenses due to a reported lack of plastic card supply from the LTO. (ICE)