LTO secures 4-M plastic cards for driver’s licenses
“The Land Transportation Office (LTO) has announced that it has secured around four million plastic cards, which is “more than enough” to address the driver’s license printing and issuance backlog that goes back to April. The supply is also enough to cover new applications and renewals moving forward.
“On top of this, the delivery of an additional 3.3 million plastic cards could finally push through if the injunction order against the LTO’s card supply deal with Banner Plasticard is lifted following the intervention of the Office of the Solicitor General. You may recall that a temporary restraining order (TRO) was issued against the supply deal in August, halting the printing and delivery of driver’s licenses. A brief reprieve came in September when the TRO lapsed, but a preliminary injunction was issued a month later, again pausing the delivery of plastic cards.
“‘Kaya sa pagpunta ng ating mga kababayan para mag-apply at mag-renew ng kanilang driver’s license, hindi na sila mangangamba na baka ang ma-issue sa kanila ay papel na lisensya,’ said agency chief Atty Vigor Mendoza II. ‘Wala na po yan, lahat ay magkakaroon na ng plastic na driver’s license.’”
“The last time the LTO was able to secure a sizeable supply of plastic cards, it implemented an adjusted renewal schedule to manage the influx of applicants at its offices and renewal centers. This was modified in October, when the injunction order was issued; as of the current schedule, driver’s licenses that expired in June 2023 are up for renewal this month. We’ll keep you posted should there be further announcements from the agency.”
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Kennon Road reopens
“Kennon Road has been reopened to two-way traffic for light vehicles effective 12am of December 24, 2023.
“The decision to reopen the mountain road was made by the MBLISTT Council, composed of the governor of Benguet, the mayors of Baguio, La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan, Tuba, and Tublay, and representatives of key industries, to help ease traffic congestion to and from Baguio during the holidays.
“Public utility and private light vehicles with a maximum weight of 10 tons are allowed to use Kennon Road, but the only public utility vehicles allowed are UV Express units plying the Baguio-Rosario route. A maximum speed limit of of 40kph shall be enforced at all times.
“There shall be no parking allowed along the side of the road, and at one-lane portions, authorized personnel shall be stationed round the clock to direct traffic. Finally, the road shall be closed to traffic immediately ‘in case of inclement weather or imminent weather disturbance, ground shaking, or earthquakes.’”
LRT-1 Cavite Extension Phase 1 undergoes first test run
“Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC) has just completed its first test run along Phase 1 of the LRT-1 Cavite Extension. This is part of preparations to ensure this 6.7km, five-station segment will be completed by Q4 2024.
“The test run was conducted to check the compatibility and assess the interface between vital components of the train system. Second-generation light rail vehicles (LRVs) were used for the test with a running speed of just 4.5kph for safety reasons. LRMC shares more test runs using other train generations are planned in the coming weeks.
“Once it finally opens, the LRT-1 Cavite Extension is expected to increase the rail line’s daily capacity from 500,000 passengers to a total of 800,000. It is expected to reduce travel time between Baclaran in Manila and Bacoor in Cavite to just 25 minutes.”
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Updated premium airport shuttle bus fares
“You may have already read about the latest airport taxi scam to go viral: the one involving an alleged ‘airport-accredited regular taxi’ who attempted to charge passengers upwards of P10,000 for a ride. Bus company UBE Express has now released the updated rates for its premium airport shuttle bus service with this note: ‘You don’t have to pay P10,000. Always ask for a receipt.’
“The service runs between Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and several locations in Metro Manila and Laguna, and there’s also a NAIA Loop going around the four terminals. Below are the updated rates:
NAIA Loop
- NAIA Terminal 1, 2, 3, 4 – P50
NAIA point-to-point (P2P) service
-
Robinsons Santa Rosa – P300
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Araneta City Cubao – P200
-
Ayala South Park – P200
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Robinsons Place Manila – P150
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Robinsons Galleria Ortigas – P150
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Victory Liner Pasay – P150
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PITX Parañaque – P150
“You’ll have to check the UBE Express page on Facebook regularly for each route’s schedule because it could change without prior notice.
“With no train lines connecting directly to our airports at the moment, these P2P buses are a convenient way to travel to the airport if you don’t want to bring a car or spend extra on a cab or a rideshare. If you want to know your other options to get to and from NAIA, here’s our full guide. You can also check out our guide for the Clark International Airport here.”
Robinsons Galleria opens new pedestrian bridge
“Ortigas mall goers, here’s a quick PSA: You can now access Robinsons Galleria directly from Ortigas Avenue via a newly opened connecting bridge.
“The new pedestrian accessway is linked to the footbridge situated in front of Eton Cyberpod Corinthian on the San Juan-bound side of Ortigas Avenue, and leads right to the second level of Robinsons Galleria. Previously, pedestrians using the old footbridge had to descend to street level to enter the mall.
“Public transport users coming from Ortigas Avenue can also enter the mall via the connecting bridge en route to the EDSA Terminal and the Carpark Annex Terminal.
“The new connecting bridge should make moving around the area a bit more convenient for pedestrians and those traveling by public transport. Next on their wishlist, based on the comments on the mall’s Facebook post: a bridge linking Robinsons Galleria and the MRT-3, like the One Ayala–SM Link that now gives direct access between the Ayala Station and SM Makati.”
