DOTC: New license plates out by Sept

MANILA, Philippines - New license plates for motor vehicles and motorcycles are expected to be ready by September, according to the Department of Transportation and Communications.

This after the DOTC awarded the 5-year contract for the supply of motor vehicle license plates and motorcycle plates to the joint venture of J. Knieriem B.V. Goes and Power Plates Development Concepts, Inc., amid some complaints made by losing and disqualified bidders.

In a statement, DOTC spokesperson Michael Arthur Sagcal said the joint committee from the DOTC and Land Transportation Office (LTO) will finalize the supply contracts within the next 10 days.

The consortium will have 30 days to deliver the license plates to the LTO.

"The public can start enjoying the benefits of cutting-edge standardized license plates before the end of September. They need not wait much longer," he said.

The license plates will have a new design. The motor vehicle plates will now have a 3-letter, 4-number combination, while motorcycle plates will have a 2-letter, 5-number combination. At present, MV plates show 3 letters and 3 numbers, while motorcycle plates have 2 letters and 4 numbers.

The private vehicle plates will also come in a black-and-white design, with a look similar to those in Singapore and part of Europe.

The plates will also have multiple security features, which will prevent tampering, theft, and falsification of license plates, mitigating carnapping, colorum, and smuggling practices.

These security features include:

Laser-etched bar codes containing selective data inputs which will allow data verification with the LTO;

Reflective sheeting material, 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.

As for the issues raised by losing bidders, the DOTC said it has already addressed these issues.

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