DOTR stops license confiscation, extends settlement deadline

Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez has ordered the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to suspend the confiscation of drivers’ licenses for apprehended motorists and extend the period to settle traffic violation cases.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said that, in line with a memorandum order dated Jan. 9, drivers’ licenses shall not be confiscated upon apprehension but will instead be placed under alert.

“While the confiscation of drivers’ licenses is suspended, the LTO is directed to immediately place the violator’s license under alert and strictly enforce the automatic suspension or revocation of the license should the driver fail to settle the case within 15 working days,” the DOTr said in a statement.

The DOTr added that changing the lead time from 15 calendar days to 15 working days is intended “to afford both the government and the public sufficient time to resolve cases.”

The memorandum order will take effect immediately, the agency noted.

Meanwhile, Lopez said the DOTr has made significant progress in acquiring land for its major rail projects, with 90.76 percent of the Metro Manila Subway Project’s right of way already secured and the North–South Commuter Railway (NSCR) north segment on track to complete land acquisition by mid-2026.

Progress of projects

As of December 2025, Lopez said that 56 percent of the required land for the NSCR north segment had been acquired, up from just 2 percent in February of the same year. Previously, the DOTr said only 55 percent of the right of way had been acquired for the Metro Manila Subway Project.

“In 2025, it was truly a banner year for our right-of-way efforts because we accelerated land acquisition so that commuters could immediately benefit from the subway and NSCR,” Lopez said in Filipino in a statement issued on Friday.

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To further expedite its right of way and site-acquisition process, the agency increased its personnel handling land acquisition from 200 to 900.

According to DOTr data, the total number of acquired properties under Lopez and former Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon has reached 1,143 as of December 2025, up from just 38 parcels in February.

For the NSCR south segment, Lopez said that the right of way for four of the 19 stations has already been cleared, including Edsa, Cabuyao, Sta. Rosa in Laguna and the Banlic depot.