By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Land Transportation Office (LTO) chief and Transportation Assistant Secretary Jose Arturo Tugade said they have created a committee which will study and come up with reasonable and standard rates for driving schools in the country.

Tugade was in Bacolod City yesterday morning for the formal turnover of the new LTO building in Barangay Mansilingan’s Sitio Manayawsayaw.

In an interview with local media following the ceremony, Tugade said they have been receiving complaints that some private driving schools are charging exorbitant fees.

He said they are expecting the committee to submit their recommendations before the end of the month, adding that the new rates would be applied nationwide.

Earlier, a female complainant said that she spent P18,000 on securing a driver’s license.

A representative from the involved driving school later surfaced and claimed that the fees would be used for fuel, maintenance, insurance of vehicles and the salaries of the driving instructors.

The LTO charges P100 for student permit application, P150 for student permit, P100 for non-professional license application, and P585 for a driver’s license.

Driver’s license applicants are required to take theoretical and practical driving courses./With a report from GMA News / DGB, WDJ