When Mang Rey (not his real name) renewed his car registration, it cost him a little over P2,000 to cover the entire process, from getting his vehicle tested for carbon emission at a Private Emission Testing Center, to securing a third party liability insurance policy, to the manual visual inspection at the Land Transportation Office.
At a private motor vehicle inspection center, for roughly half the price, a car owner will already complete vehicle inspection and emission testing, and the inspection results are transmitted and uploaded directly to the LTO system without any human intervention.
This is aligned with the objective of the Department of Transportation’s service automation project, which is to streamline the transaction between the DOTr’s many agencies and citizens who require their services.
Automating the process reduces red tape as well as opportunities for corruption, given that fixers used to make a profit from individuals renewing their driver’s license and other documents from agencies under the DOTr.
Transport Secretary Arthur Tugade said he believes lesser human contact would ensure transparency, compliance, and ultimate the roadworthiness of vehicles.
