Ever read the back of your driver’s license to find out about your particular restrictions? Well, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) is currently thinking about making those conditions even stricter.
A report by ABS-CBN News states that the agency is studying a scheme that would see different types of vehicles being assigned unique codes, and drivers would no longer be able to switch between different rides without first passing an exam.
“Ang kaibahan, for example, mayroon kang Restriction Code na 1 sa existing, pwede kang mag-drive ng motorcycle without sidecar, pwede ka ring mag-drive ng tricycle or three-wheeled vehicle,” says LTO operations division assistant chief Danny Encela. “But dito sa proposal natin, kapag motorcycle lang a-apply-an mo, motorcycle lang ida-drive mo. Pag tricycle, tricycle only. Hindi ka pwedeng mag-drive ng motorcycle. Pag three-wheeled, three-wheeled lang.”
If approved, the proposed Driver’s License Code would amend the existing License Restriction Code, which categorizes vehicles only by the number of wheels and their gross weight. Encela adds that the current License Restriction Code 2, which allows motorists to operate four-wheeled vehicles weighing up to 4,500kg, would be separated into numerous codes under the proposal.
The amendment is currently under review by LTO brass, and Encela hopes it will be approved within the year. Do you think this will help make our roads safer and more disciplined?
If you want a refresher on the existing license restrictions and what they mean, you can read up on them here.