The absence of equipment in the Bayawan Land Transportation Office for the issuance of new driver’s licenses is becoming an inconvenience for the applicants who have to go to Dumaguete City, the capital of Negros Oriental, for it.
Alberta Janine Flores Lawas, district chief of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) in Bayawan City, Negros Oriental, disclosed Monday that her office could only issue a student permit for new applicants for a driver’s license at the moment.
The same is true with that of the LTO District Office in Bais City, as only the LTO-Dumaguete City District Office has the equipment to issue new driver’s licenses.
According to Lawas, it is becoming a problem for new applicants who either continue to renew their student permit every so often, or spend time, effort and money to go to Dumaguete to apply for a new driver’s license.
The Bayawan LTO district office’s area of operations includes Siaton, Sta. Catalina, Bayawan City and Basay.
It would take at least one hour to travel one way from Siaton to Dumaguete, while Basay, which is the farthest town down south, is about two hours or more just one way to the capital city.
Not only that, the LTO-Bayawan district office also caters to clients from Hinoba-an and Sipalay in Negros Occidental because Bayawan City is nearer than applicants having to travel all the way to Kabankalan or Himamaylan, also on the other side of the island, according to Lawas.
Lawas disclosed she is lobbying with the LTO regional office in Region 7 based in Cebu City to acquire the necessary equipment for the other district offices in Negros Oriental so as to cater to their clients’ needs. (PNA/JFP)
