Transport Groups Protest RFID Plan Implementation

Posted on January 12th, 2010. Written by Rico.

Everyone involved agrees that the LTO plan’s to equip public utility vehicles (PUV) with RFID tags is beneficial. Since last year however, some groups have questioned the legality of the scheme’s implementation.

Those so-called militant groups staged a “protest caravan”, which yesterday made its way from Quezon City to Mandaluyong City, to the headquarters of the Department of Transportation and Communcations (DOTC). Among their concerns are questions over the lack of a “public bidding process”, and a “review by the National Economic Development Authority”.

Using RFID (radio-frequency identification) tags, the LTO plans to equip legitimately registered PUVs with microchips that store vehicle information, primarily to make it easier for law enforcement officials to go after “colorums” (PUVs operating with license). RFID tags are already used widely worldwide to facilitate the identification of items, mainly for tracking, management, and billing purposes.

Transport groups like the scheme because of exactly that, and the promise that the system will “simplify and speed up the registration process”.

Photo and source: RFID Stirs Protests (The Manila Bulletin)