MANILAph6, Philippines — Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino yesterday called on the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to address the backlog in license plates instead of imposing a deadline on motorcycle riders.

Dozens of ride-hailing service riders held a protest in front of the Senate building in Pasay yesterday.

They opposed the LTO’s Dec. 31 deadline for the use of improvised plates.

Starting January next year, the LTO will flag motor vehicle owners not using official plates.

“The deadline is unrealistic and unfair to riders who will be arrested, fined and banned from using their motorcycle beginning Jan. 1, 2025. If the LTO cannot produce the official plates, then it should defer the deadline,” Tolentino said.

He said the LTO should extend the deadline again because the license plate backlog stood at 12.5 million as of February.

Of the number, 9.1 million are motorcycle plates.

Tolentino sponsored the bill that sought to amend the “discriminatory” provisions of Republic Act 11235 or the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Law.

The Senate has approved on final reading the billph6, which seeks to replace double plates with radio frequency identification stickers.

• ph6
• Motorcycle
• Fix
• Plates
• backlog