New Plates Available by September

The newest car plates will now have four numbers on it, while the motorcy-
cle plates will have five numbers in it. The respective number of letters re-
main the same. LTO

The much-awaited issuance of modern license plates by the Land Transportation Office (LTO), containing several advanced security features and a new alphanumeric design, will finally push through before the end of next month, according to the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC).

“The public can start enjoying the benefits of cutting-edge standardized license plates before the end of September. They need not wait much longer,” said DOTC Spokesperson Michael Arthur Sagcal.  

The 5-year contracts for the supply of motor vehicle (MV) license plates, amounting to around PHP 1.989 billion, and the supply of motorcycle (MC) license plates, amounting to around PHP 1.196 billion, have been awarded to the joint venture of J. Knieriem B.V. Goes and Power Plates Development Concepts, Inc.

The DOTC will now have 10 days to finalize the supply contracts, after which a notice to proceed will be issued to the winning bidder. The consortium will then have 30 days to deliver the license plates to the LTO.

This means that by the end of September, vehicle owners will begin receiving plates with new alphanumeric designs: the MV plates will now have a 3-letter, 4-number combination, and the MC plates will have a 2-letter, 5-number combination. The private vehicle plates will also come in a black-and-white design, with a look similar to those in more advanced countries such as Singapore and parts of Europe.

The latest technologies adopted as multiple security features include laser-etched bar codes containing selective data inputs which will allow data verification with the LTO, reflective sheeting material with security images which cannot be removed by any known method without damaging the sheeting, which will allow license plate visibility even from wide-entrance angles and up to a distance of 100 feet, for both daytime and nighttime, and anodized bolt head screws and nuts with serial numbers, which will prevent tampering and removal of the license plates from the vehicle bodies once installed.

“The new security features will promote safety and reliability in accordance with international quality standards,” Sagcal added. “They will prevent the tampering, theft, and falsification of license plates, mitigating carnapping, colorum, and smuggling practices.”

With respect to various issues raised by losing bidders and other interested parties in connection with the bidding out of this project, the DOTC has already satisfactorily addressed their questions.

“What matters is that the DOTC conducted an open, fair, and transparent bidding in accordance with procurement laws,” remarked Sagcal.