CALOOCAN CITY (PIA) – The Land Transportation Office has acquired its second automated plate-making machine specifically for producing motorcycle license plates.

The machine is capable of manufacturing 450 motorcycle plates per hour in an efficient and systematic manner or 3,600 motorcycle plates in an eight-hour shift a day, and 7,200 motorcycle plates a day on a two-shift basis.

The machine, which will be manned by two LTO personnel, can produce a total of 158,400 motorcycle plates a month on a two-shift per day basis.

Transportation Secretary Art Tugade said that the arrival of the motorcycle plate-making machine will address the recurring problems in issuing motorcycle license plates, which occured due to issues of backlogs in the past.

"First time natin nagkaroon ng high-tech na robot na gumagawa ng plaka, first time din natin nagkaroon ng dalawa. Hindi na 'ho manu-mano ang paggawa ng ating plaka. Sa tulong nitong IDE-Robot, mas mapapabilis pa natin ang distribusyon ng plaka para sa ating mga motorista. I have to commend Asec. Galvante for this important initiative,”Tugade said.

Meanwhile, LTO Chief Assistant Secretary Edgar Galvante explained that the newest plate-making machine will complement the existing plate-making machines at the LTO Plate-Making Facility to ensure a more efficient and swift motor vehicle and motorcycle plates production.

"Malaking tulong ito para i-augment 'yung kasalukuyang capacity ng ating facility. And as we produce, we will continue to distribute so that we can provide plates for all registered vehicles,” Galvante explained.

The LTO acquired its first machine which was dedicated for the production of motor vehicle plates.

Established in April 2018, the LTO plate-making facility in Quezon City expedites the production and distribution of license plates, which was used to be outsourced in the past. (DOTr/PIA-NCR)