LTO wants to make student permit exams quicker

Motorists applying for a student permit in the near future are in luck. The Land Transportation Office (LTO) is working on abbreviating the cutting of the two-hour exam by half.

LTO Chief Jayart Tugade announced the move after recognizing that a lengthy and time-consuming exam is one of the reasons why student driver applicants resort to under-the-table arrangements.

An LTO committee is currently analyzing the exam questions and finding a way to compress, condense, and shorten them to a one-hour exam. This move is still part of the agency’s effort to simplify transactions, eradicate fixers, and eliminate corruption.

"The instruction I gave to our committee was to compress the exam. This exam reportedly takes about two hours. The agency is now studying how to shorten the exam. I believe that by reducing the exam duration, our applicants will not seek out fixers and will opt to take the exam themselves," said LTO Chief Tugade.

In related news, Chief Tugade also wants to incorporate the latest technology into all processes and transactions of the agency, including implementing online application forms for driver's license applicants, online payments for various transaction fees, and online renewal for private motor vehicles through the Land Transportation Management System (LTMS).

Currently, the LTO has provided its law enforcement crew with mobile handheld devices that issue electronic temporary operator's permits (e-TOP) for violators of traffic laws.