L.T.O.s and W.A.T.
Trip Start
Aug 28, 2008
1
41
43
Trip End
Ongoing
Manila, National Capital Region, Philippines
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
So, we bought a car.
Either through naivety, an impulsive purchase, lack of research or all of the above, it transpired that the vehicle was lacking the necessary documentation of road worthiness, i.e. Tax and MOT.
I located the Land Transportation Office (DVLA) and took the motor down for its inspection.
Immediately on entry, I was surrounded by a throng of fixers eager to assist me in my task.
Step 1: Pay for parking. Fixer assists.
Step 2: Vehicle Inspection. Lots of sites doing this, fixer guides me to his pal.
The inspection (MOT) was painless in its simplicity; one guy takes a stencil of the vehicle's chassis and engine numbers using a scrap piece of paper and a 2B pencil rather like the brass rubbings you did as a kid, another sticks a gas analyser tube up the vehicle's exhaust, this chap gets his picture taken by another guy 'cos it's cool and another guy lightly revs the engine. Pay for test.
Step 3: Pay for insurance. Third party liability is a requirement and can be purchased at any broker, fixer guides me to his pal. TP insurance is fixed at 1000 pesos but curiously, my cover note is tampered with and the figure is amateurly changed to 1200 pesos. 'White added Tax'?
The LTO office is surrounded by insurance brokers, in fact a whole industry has evolved to cater for the poor folk who have to come here. Like one would expect at sites like the Pyramids, Angkor and the Great Wall, merchants have set up stalls and services and offer photocopying, passport spec photos, massage, notorization, food and fags.
Step 4: Go to window C and present documents.
Step 5: Go to window D to collect documents.
Step 6: Go to window 8 (?) and pay when your name is called. The queue is out the door.
Step 7: Go to window F and collect your windscreen sticker (Tax disc). Man at window F says they have run out of stickers and to come back tomorrow.
