If retail and food companies have mystery shoppers and diners who test their quality and service anonymously, then the Land Transportation Office (LTO) has its “mystery applicants.”
In an interview with DZRH on Monday, newly appointed LTO chief Vigor Mendoza II said he has started deploying these “mystery applicants” nationwide to find out the problems encountered when transacting with the agency and any loopholes in procedures.
Atty. Mendoza: Tayo po ay nagtalaga ng mistery applicants, para sila na po ang magsabi sa akin ng reports sa mga kakulangan ng serbisyo sa ating opisina sa baba.#SOS #SpecialOnSaturday #SamaSamaTayoPilipino
— DZRH NEWS (@dzrhnews) July 28, 2023
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“Tayo po ay nagtalaga ng mistery applicants, para sila na po ang magsabi sa akin ng reports sa mga kakulangan ng serbisyo sa ating opisina sa baba,” he noted.
In a separate news release, Mendoza said that these mystery applicants will personally report to their office regarding their observations in all the LTO offices such as how fast or slow the transactions were completed, the convenience and inconvenience they experienced.
According to Mendoza, the deployment of mystery applicants was in line with the directive of Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista for the new LTO leadership to take steps to ensure smooth and fast transactions within the agency that had long been the subject of public complaints.
“This measure will give us the real picture of what is happening on the ground, especially on the aspect of delivering services to our kababayan,” the LTO Chief said.
He asserted that with the help of the mystery applicants, their office could improve their services and make the application and renewal of driver’s licenses, motor vehicle registration, and other transactions more convenient for the clients.
Mendoza stated that a group of volunteers with a range of ages and professions will be used to choose these mysterious applicants.
The LTO had been plagued with a slew of issues before Mendoza's appointment in July, including a lack of plastic cards for driver's licenses and license plates for motorbikes and cars.
The former head of the LTO Jose Arturo Tugade, resigned as a result of the shortfall due to disagreement over the Department of Transportation's procurement guidelines.
Mendoza also intends to install warning systems for public utility vehicles (PUVs) to safeguard the safety of drivers and commuters during typhoons and other natural disasters as part of his initiatives to enhance the agency's services.
