The Land Transportation Office yesterday took exception to criticism that it was wasting taxpayer money for issuing temporary paper licenses.
LTO spokesperson Divine Reyes told the Daily Tribune the temporary driver’s licenses and official receipts it issues are printed back-to-back, hence, there’s no waste of money.
“Receipt on the front, on the back of the paper is a virtual copy of the driver’s license that would have been printed on plastic cards,” Reyes said.
Rep. Wilbert Lee earlier lambasted the LTO, saying: “Government money is not unli(mited). Temporary licenses are a wasteful and unnecessary response to the problem.”
“Millions in paper, ink, electricity, and the effort to print them will be wasted,” Lee stressed.
LTO chief Jay Art Tugade confirmed last week the shortage of plastic license cards, which he blamed on a Department of Transportation order that said all procurements of P50 million and above shall be handled by the DoTr.
The shortage has forced the LTO to extend the validity of some driver’s licenses.