LTO sets maximum driving school fees effective Apr 15

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) on Wednesday has set maximum prescribed fees for driving schools in response to complaints against expensive rates.

For motorcycle driving, the maximum total prescribed rate is P3,500—P1,000 for theoretical driving course (TDC) and P2,500 for practical driving course (PDC).

For light vehicle driving, the maximum total prescribed rate is P5,000—P1,000 for theoretical driving course (TDC) and P4,000 for practical driving course (PDC).

LTO chief Jay Art Tugade said the cap on driving school fees will be effective on April 15.

“Ito pong (this) omnibus guidelines in the accreditation and supervision of driving institutions will be effective April 15, 2023,” LTO chief Jay Art Tugade said in a press conference.

Tugade said penalties will be imposed on driving schools that will violate the policy.

Previously, there was no maximum rate set for driving school fees, according to Tugade. Some schools were reportedly charging up to P20,000 fees.

Also, the LTO has lifted the moratorium on applications to open driving schools starting Thursday, March 23.

Duterte made the statement as she joined the groundbreaking ceremony and signing of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the “Programang Pabahay para sa mga Guro at mga taga-Lungsod Quezon” (Housing program for teachers and Quezon City residents).

“We are willing to partner with other local government units, katulad ng ginawa ng Quezon City local government unit. Mayroon silang pabahay at ang partnership nila with the Department of Education is ‘yung pag-identify ng beneficiary teachers natin na qualified para sa kanilang pabahay (like what the QC LGU did. They have a housing program and their partnership with the Department of Education is to identify the qualified teachers for the housing program),” she said in an interview.

Duterte said such program should not be limited to urban areas.

“Ang isyu ng kawalan ng pabahay ay hindi lang po nakasentro sa mga highly-urbanized na mga lugar sa Metro Manila katulad ng Quezon City o Davao City sa Mindanao (The issue on the lack of housing is

For its part, the QC government expects the housing program to benefit about 444 individuals, 144 of whom shall come from the teaching and non-teaching personnel of DepEd.

Under the QC housing program, beneficiaries shall be granted a unit in one of its soonto-be-built QCitizen Homes Republic Residences.

The compound shall consist of eight five-story buildings and one 12-story building.

Qualified beneficiaries may avail of the housing program through the Pag-IBIG Fund (Pagtutulungan sa Kinabukasan: Ikaw, Bangko, Industriya at Gobyerno) or the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) financing.

Besides the housing program, Duterte urged teachers to avail of the Office of the Vice President’s newly-launched livelihood program for women and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual, plus (LGBTQIA+) community.

“We encourage that to our teaching personnel in the Department of Education. To date, we’re always promoting and offering the Office of the Vice President’s entrepreneurship program, the Magnegosyo Ta Day,” Duterte said in mixed English and Filipino. (PNA)