DADS impose ‘No Registration Plate, No Travel’ policy

The Baguio City Council has recently enacted an ordinance imposing a ‘No Registration Plate, No Travel’ policy for all motorists in the city.

The ordinance was approved on the third and final reading during the regular session last Monday and will be transmitted to the City Mayor’s Office for approval before it will be implemented.

Under the ordinance, owners of motor vehicles without registration plates attached either on the front or rear bumper or both, or motor vehicles using registration plates other than that issued exclusively for the vehicle shall be prohibited to ply the roads of the city.

This policy shall not apply when the registration plate was detached due to apprehension for 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.

According to the ordinance, owners of motor vehicles without available registration plates issued by the Land Transportation Office (LTO) must attach to their vehicles the conduction stickers, MV file number, or improvised registration plate as permitted by the LTO.

The ordinance stipulated that government employees including those in the law enforcement using government or private vehicles shall not be exempted.

Furthermore, rebuilt or locally assembled vehicles for dropping with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) shall be allowed to travel only for the purpose of registration, inspection and/or obtaining clearances but with the attached notice “FOR REGISTRATION” or “FOR DROPPING” placed visibly on any surface of the vehicle.

A motorist driving a vehicle without a registration plate, conduction sticker, MV file number, or temporary registration plate on the front or rear bumper shall be fined P2,000.00.

Motorists driving a motor vehicle with a different registration plate, conduction sticker, MV file number, or temporary registration plate other than that issued exclusively for the vehicle by the LTO shall be fined P5,000.00.

Moreover, the driver’s license shall be confiscated and a traffic citation ticket shall be issued. If the driver has no license, the vehicle shall be impounded temporarily until settlement of all the violations applicable and shall likewise be subject to an impounding fee under the towing ordinance of the city.

As per records of the Sangguniang Panlungsod, there is no existing city ordinance yet that penalizes motorists whose traveling vehicles have no registration plates attached.

Councilor Benny Bomogao, one of the proponents, explained that their committee has decided to propose the “No Plate, Number No Travel” Ordinance to authorize the police officers of the city to apprehend motorists who are not complying with this policy.

It will be remembered that Ordinance 7-1984 (All ordinance adopting Comprehensive Transportation and Traffic Regulations for the City of Baguio) has been further amended recently. All penalties of all road violations identified in Ordinance 7-1984 have been increased by virtue of the recently approved amendatory ordinance (Ordinance 75-2019).

Bomogao pointed out that failure to attach registration plates is not included in the list of road violations provided for by the Comprehensive Transportation and Traffic Regulations for the City of Baguio, thus the passage of the “No Registration Plate, No Travel” Ordinance. –Jordan G. Habbiling