The IT provider of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) will no longer collect the highly questioned interconnectivity fee from operators for public utility vehicles (PUVs) but the computerization of the agencies’ databases will push through.

This after the Stradcom Corporation heeded the persistent complaints of taxi, bus, and jeepney operators to unburden them of the P99.00 interconnectivity fee and instead impose the amount to the consortium of passenger insurance companies as initially stipulated in the LTO-Stradcom contract.

According to LTRFB officer-in-charge Assistant Secretary Dante Lantin, the waiving of the interconnectivity fee from franchise applicants was observed starting last Monday, the same day the expiration of confirmation certificates was lifted by the LTFRB.

Confirmation certificates, one of the requirements for PUV registration at the LTO, were earlier issued with expiration dates, forcing late PUV applicants to endure penalty fees.

Lantin said the compromise between Stradcom, the insurance consortium, and the LTFRB transpired after Department of Transportation and Communication (DoTC) Secretary Jose “Ping” de Jesus dialogued with transport groups and let the LTO and LTFRB manually transact while the interconnectivity system is still experiencing glitches.

“What was initially agreed was for us is to go manual while the Stradcom is perfecting the computerization system. But in order for us not to compromise our aim of minimizing human intervention in our transactions while enduring the system’s birth pains, our partners agreed to meet the transport sectors halfway,” he said.

Lantin, however, clarified that the development on the issues hounding the agencies’ interconnectivity will not affect the DOTC’s plan to review the contract between the LTO and Stradcom for alleged irregularities. The LTFRB has only become a party to the contract since Stradcom provides interconnectivity of the two agencies’ databases.

Lantin said the pending review of the LTO-Stradcom contract should not also compromise the intentions of the agencies’ interconnectivity.

“We expect more glitches in the system along the way but it’s not enough reason for us to ditch the automation of our databases. We’re giving automation another chance because after all, the advantages outweigh the glitches. We will push through with the interconnectivity since there is no way but up,” he added.