The City of Pines has passed a ‘no plate, no travel’ policy on its third and final reading imposing a hefty fine on violators including government employees using government vehicles.
After the Summer Capital increased the number of daily tourists entering the city, the Baguio city council passed the ‘no plate, no travel’ ordinance, barring motor vehicles with lost or missing license plates from plying the city’s streets.
Additionally, vehicles using license plates other than those issued for the vehicle will be prohibited from traveling the city’s thoroughfares.
Even government employees will not be exempted from the van.
However, the policy will not apply when the registration plate was detached by an authorized person due to a traffic violation, “provided that the driver must show to the apprehending officer the temporary operator’s permit or the traffic citation ticket issued within 72 hours from apprehension,” said Jordan Habbiling, information officer of the Baguio City Council.
In the absence of a plate number, the conduction sticker, motor vehicle file number, or improvised registration plate permitted by the Land Transportation Office (LTO) will suffice.
This includes rebuilt or locally assembled vehicles for dropping, registration, inspection, and/or obtaining clearances with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).
The vehicle must attach a “FOR REGISTRATION” or “FOR DROPPING” notice on any visible surface of the vehicle.
Violators will be imposed a fine of P2,000 while a separate fine of P5,000 will be imposed on motorists using a different registration plate, conduction sticker, motor vehicle file number, or temporary registration plate other than that issued exclusively for the vehicle by the LTO.
Unclaimed plates
Since the announcement was made on November 26, netizens have complained that 2,166 license plates of motor vehicles and motorcycles, confiscated from 2010 to 2020, remain unclaimed due to the “high” penalties for their respective traffic violations.
“LTO simplehan nyo lng kasi… Pag nagparehistro ng sasakyan at matapos lahat ng inspection at documentation my plate number na agad,” wrote a netizen.
On November 27, the City of Pines increased the number of tourists allowed to enter from 2,000 to 3,000 in the hope of adding more activity in reviving the city’s economy.
If you are one of the lucky people who has booked slots through the city’s tourist registration platform, visita.baguio.gov.ph, make sure your vehicle has its proper plate otherwise you’ll be facing a hefty fine.
Tags: #BaguioCity, #trafficrules, #licenseplates, #NoPlateNoTravel