LTO rolling out bigger number plates for motorcycles starting Aug 27, 2020

The Land Transportation Office, through assistant secretary, Edgar Galvante, has confirmed with MotoPinas.com that the agency will begin issuing the much-awaited motorcycle number plates starting tomorrow, August 27, for National Capital Region (NCR).

“We have released some [number plates] for NCR-registered motorcycles,” confirmed Asec. Galvante to MotoPinas.com.

That means, for the time being, only NCR-registered motorcycles will be getting their new doble plaka law-compliant rear plate numbers. Plus, as confirmed by LTO’s executive director, Atty. Romeo Vera Cruz with MotoPinas.com, the LTO will also issue an RFID sticker which will be placed on the motorcycle’s headlight. This RFID is not a replacement for the front decal which the LTO will issue at a later date.

The new plate number for motorcycles has been one of the greatest issues the LTO had encountered over the last 10 years. Due to an issue with the supplier and some irregularities within the bidding process, the LTO had no choice but to stop issuing number plates for both cars and motorcycles some years back. It was further complicated when the Republic Act 11235 or the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act was signed into law (doble plaka), requiring two plates for motorcycles in a larger size.

After about 2 years of design revisions (and intervention from politicians), a new plate number design for motorcycles has been finally approved last March, just a few days before the government declared a COVID-19 outbreak that shut down the entire nation.

No apprehensions yet

For those worried about being apprehended, there is no reason to panic. The motorcycle rights group, Motorcycle Rights Organization (MRO), has assured everyone that LTO enforcers will not apprehend anyone for using the old plate number or MV-file number plate for the time being.

This concern was raised when news circulated earlier this morning that the LTO, including other concerned government agencies, will begin apprehending motorcyclists who do not bear the new plate number.

If there are any abuses, MRO urges them to report the apprehending officer to the LTO or, get the ticket and gather additional supporting evidence and forward them to the MRO for proper filing of administrative cases.

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