The new chief of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) says the agency wants to review the process of issuing a temporary operator’s permit (TOP). Assistant Secretary Vigor Mendoza II said the LTO seeks to simplify the process and improve its enforcement during a recent press conference.
A TOP is given to motorists who had their license confiscated due to a traffic violation. It serves as a temporary driver’s license until the fine and/or penalty has been settled. The TOP is valid for three days (72 hours) following the citation of the driver.
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Earlier this year, the LTO launched a shift to electronic TOPs. It’s part of the agency’s initiative to move towards digitalization, with the agency saying it will also curb corruption. Traffic violations are automatically entered into an online database, negating the need for manual TOPs. The LTO is also in the process of aligning the TOP process with Joint Administrative Order No. 2014-01.
At the time, Mendoza did not mention any specifics on how the LTO will ‘fix’ the process, but had this to say. ““Asahan niyo po na isa ‘yan sa aming ire-review para sa gayon ay tama lang ho ang trato namin sa mga motorista na either nagba-violate o kung di naman ay nakakagamit ng kotse but later found out na may problema pala.”
“Aayusin ho natin kaagad ‘yan. So the moment we implement it, we would issue the necessary changes para ora mismo po matapos na natin ‘yung problema,” added Mendoza.
