Sorry, aspiring drivers—you’d have to put your plans of applying for a permit on hold in the meantime. On June 29, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) announced that they will not be issuing new student driver permits beginning July 1.
“Effective July 1, isu-suspend muna namin ang pag-iissue ng student permit kasi by August irerequire na na dapat yung nag-aapply ng student permit went through this 15 hours of theoretical session,” said LTO chief Edgar Galvante.
With this new system that they will begin implementing on Aug. 3, student driver applicants are required to undergo a theoretical session wherein road laws and regulations will be discussed. LTO has already cooperated with driving schools where student driver applicants could enroll for the session as well.
Those qualified to avail of student driver permits are Filipino and foreign citizens aged 16 years. old and above, as well as those who hold an expired driver’s license of 10 years or more.
Last March, LTO announced that a 15-hour theoretical driving course will be required for student drivers starting Apr. 6, as stated in Memorandum Circular 2019-2176.
Earlier this June, the application for student driver permits was among the services offered online by LTO on their new online portal, which enables applicants to transact, upload documentary requirements and pay fees online. This online portal was introduced to limit face-to-face interactions in LTO branches, although walk-in clients are still being accepted.
Header photo by Courtney Corlew on Unsplash
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Writer: YANN MAGCAMIT
