The Land Transportation Office (LTO) will require all student permit applicants to undergo a 15-hour driving seminar starting April 2020.
The driving seminar is expected to be one of the ‘solutions’ to the traffic jam problem. According to LTO, by requiring all applicants to undergo a more comprehensive seminar, they are also expecting to produce more intelligent drivers. Hence, minimizing the traffic and the accidents.
Requiring the applicants to undergo the seminar is embodied in the Memorandum Circular 2019-2176. The seminar will focus on traffic laws and basic lessons about driving.
Director of LTO Central Visayas said that all driving centers will have to apply for accredication.
“So far, 21 schools have been accredited. Same concept with medical clinics. Electronic certificates are transmitted to LTO from the accredited schools. We are alos in discussions with LGUs (Local Government Units) for public driving schools which LTO will accredit,”
– Victor Caindec, Director of LTO Central Visayas
Based on the memorandum, individuals who complete the 15-hour theoretical driving course will receive certificates of driving course completion, which will be automatically transmitted to the LTO by driving course centers.
The student permit is a pre-requisite for the issuance of a driver’s license.
