DOTC to bid out P3.85-B license plates contract

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) is seeking bidders for the P3.85 billion contract to produce new plate numbers for vehicles and motorcycles.

In an invitation to bid published on Wednesday, February 20, the DOTC said interested parties must submit their bids on or before March 12.

The auction takes off from the Land Transportation Office (LTO) Motor Vehicle Plate Standardization Program, which requires the winning bidder to supply and deliver  approximately 5.23 million pieces of plates for motor vehicle and 9.97 million for motorcycle.

Each pair of motor vehicle plates with stickers and screws should not cost more than P450, and motorcycles more than P150. These already include the costs for screws and stickers.

The 5-year contract covers July 2013 to June 2018 period. 

Bids that are more than the approved budget would automatically be rejected.

A pre-bid conference is scheduled on Feb. 28.

New elements

DOTC secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya earlier said the standardization of license plates for motor vehicles and motorcycles would help address the difficulty in prompt identification of counterfeit plates, use of dilapidated plates, and the common practice of non-replacement of lost plates.

Abaya said the program would also address the unreliable motor vehicle database system and concerns on national security and crime.

The new and standardized plate numbers would bear security features, as well as a bar code containing vehicle details, like the chassis number and the date of registry.

Standardized plate numbers in all new motor vehicles — or those that would be registered for the first time — would have a combination of 3 letters and 4 numbers while motorcycles would have two alphanumeric symbols and five numbers.

Currently, motor vehicle plate numbers show 3 letters and 3 numbers. Motorcycles have two letters and 4 numbers. – Rappler.com