FOR a public utility vehicle (PUV) driver like Edver Mendez, every trip counts, especially with the pandemic when passengers are relatively few. The temporary suspension of driver license renewal and postponement of public transportation due to stricter community quarantine protocols challenged Mendez to make ends meet for almost two months.
It was in June 2020 when the Land Transportation Office (LTO) resumed its operations in Metro Manila after the lockdown status was lowered to General Community Quarantine (GCQ). This prompted Mendez to have his license renewed to prepare for his impending return on the road.
Luckily, driver license renewal did not add to Mendez’s burdens since the process only took him less than an hour.
“I felt relieved that I was able to renew my driver’s license in just a short time. It lessened my worries. All I need to do now is get back on the road and earn for my family,” Mendez said.
In the same vein, a shorter transaction process would mean longer family time for a working mom like Angeline Ocampo.
She no longer needs to get a day off from work just to renew her license. This gives Ocampo a sense of security from contracting the COVID-19 virus, since LTO offices are not crowded.
“As a mother, some saved time is important because I can use it to take care of my son. I have been driving for almost ten years now and I can say that the renewal process is no longer time- consuming, ever since the transactions were computerized,” she said.
Edver and Angeline’s stories attest to the success of the LTO-IT project, which automated LTO’s core processes. STRADCOM is the proponent of the multibillion-peso computerization of LTO.
As of November 2020, the LTO-IT project’s customer transactions have already reached more than 300 million. The automation project has drastically improved the agency’s efficiency, cutting the average turnaround time of transactions from the previous three to six months in the 1990s to just less than an hour.
The LTO has also processed 30.7 million unique motor vehicle records, issued 19.3 million driver’s licenses, and uploaded 13.8 million alarm apprehensions and clearance records. Of all the motor vehicle entities in the database, 66.6% are motorcycles, which symbolize the country’s greater access to affordable transportation.
STRADCOM spokesperson Lorie Bundoc said the volume of transactions that LTO can accommodate is supported by the automation initiatives under the LTO-IT project.
“Our long- proven partnership with LTO has helped connect the government’s services to the people,” Bundoc said.
“That is why we work closely with LTO to make sure that our systems remain transparent, dependable, and reliable to continue serving our motoring public despite the virus crisis,” she added.
In addition, the LTO-IT project was able to authenticate almost 100 million Compulsory Third Party Liability Car Insurance (CTPL) policies. This authentication process benefits the car owners because it ensures the legitimacy of insurance policies they have availed; the government, which can collect the proper amount of taxes; and the insurance companies, which can prevent the loss of sales due to fixers and fake insurance providers.
The LTO-IT project did not only aim to improve LTO’s delivery of public service but it also help curb process-related challenges. Almost 400 LTO satellite offices nationwide are now automated through the LTO-IT project.
“With a computerized system, we can help ensure transparent transactions, objective decision- making, and cut red tape. Our system provides information on irregularities in transactions and flags incomplete applications,” Bundoc said.
Before the implementation of the LTO-IT Project, LTO’s annual revenues were only P4 billion. In the past ten years, LTO’s gross revenues reached P194.46 billion, consistently increasing by at least 5% annually.
As a law enforcement tool, the LTO-IT system is also able to conduct audits that check the historical transactions of vehicles from first owner registration up to records that can help provide information if a vehicle is stolen or is involved in committing a crime. To date, STRADCOM was able to turnover almost 700 detailed audit trails to the LTO. Maximizing connectivity
Aside from LTO’s core transactions, STRADCOM also developed additional systems that provide further convenience to motorists. The Private Emission Testing Center Information Technology Facility (PETC-ITF) links LTO and private emission testing centers to enable electronic uploading of data and authentication of records prior to motor vehicle (MV) registration. The LTO also launched the ePatrol, a mobile LTO office that can be used to reach areas where an LTO site is lacking or scarce. 11 ePatrol units are currently operational nationwide.
The LTO-IT Project also introduced products that improved access to vital records and enabled self-service transactions. The LTO Text, an SMS-based verification service, allows anyone to inquire and confirm MV and driver license (DL) records by texting LTO Vehicle <Plate Number> for MV or LTO <DL Number> for DL to 2600. The system will reply after a few seconds containing the desired information.
Meanwhile, the LTO PASS or Online Personal Appointment and Scheduling System allows the motoring public to renew driver license or vehicle registration in their preferred LTO site online. There are also self-service touchscreen LTO Kiosks deployed in 31 locations nationwide that can be used to further shorten a motorist’s driver license renewal process.
STRADCOM also developed systems that linked the LTO to other government agencies to help establish mechanisms for crime prevention and detection. Such agencies include the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), Bureau of Customs (BOC), and some local government units.
“We are continuously coordinating with the LTO to develop system innovations that can further enhance the agency’s public service. In 2019, we launched the LTO Medical IT System (MEDIC), which computerized the medical record system of those applying and renewing their driver licenses. MEDIC has processed over 8.8 million transactions to date,” Bundoc said.
STRADCOM believes that the automation initiatives under the LTO-IT project go beyond developing systems that promote good governance. “At the heart of it is our ardent desire to provide the motoring public with quality services that they rightfully deserve, so that many Edvers and Angelines will get to experience this,” Bundoc explained.
