ILOILO City – For the safety of the riding public and to protect legitimate public utility vehicle (PUV) operators, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) has intensified its anti-colorum operations.
LTO chief Vigor Mendoza II, on Sept. 7, ordered all regional directors to heighten measures against “out-of-line” PUVs.
“This has long been a problem that requires attention and sustained operations to ensure that only those granted with permits could operate. Buhay ng mga mananakay ang nakataya dito, dapat natin itong pagtuunan ng pansin,” said Mendoza.
He added: “Dapat masuyod at tuluyang masawata ang operasyon ng mga colorum na ito sa inyong mga lugar na nasasakupan.”
In Western Visayas, LTO-6 spokesperson Riza Otayde said anti-colorum operations have been continuous.
As of June this year, 11 colorum PUVs (10 vans and one UV-Avanza) had been apprehended.
“May ara sang intensification sa colorum operation ang Regional Law Enforcement Service sang Region 6, headed by chief Jonas Torres nga gina-supervise ni LTO-6 director Eric Lenard Tabaldo,” Otayde told Panay News yesterday.
Operations are unannounced to catch colorum PUVs off guard, she added.
“Gina-protehiran naton dira ang legitimate nga operators because ang colorum indi masigurado ang seguridad sang riding public, at-risk ang aton sumalakay sa ila,” Otayde also said.
The LTO-6 spokesperson noted that colorum operations in the region, though continuous, are no longer rampant with the continuous efforts of the LTO-6, together with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), Philippine National Police (PNP), and Highway Patrol Group (HPG), as well as the huge penalties that await violators.
Republic Act 4163, or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code, classifies a motor vehicle operating as “colorum” under any of the following circumstances:
* a private vehicle motor operating as a PUV but without proper authority from the LTFRB
* a PUV operating outside of its approved route or area without a prior permit from the Board or outside the exceptions provided under the existing memorandum circulars
* a PUV operating differently from its authorized denomination (e.g., those approved as school service but operating as UV Express, or those approved as tourist bus transport but operating as a city or provincial bus
* a PUV with a suspended or canceled Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC), and the decision/order of suspension or cancellation is executory; and
* a PUV with an expired CPC and without a pending application for extension of validity timely filed before the board.
PENALTIES
First offense
* bus – P1 million fine and three months minimum impounding period
* trucks – P200,000 fine and three months minimum impounding period
* jeepney – P50,000 fine and three months minimum impounding period
* vans – P200,000 fine and three months minimum impounding period
* sedan – P120,000 fine and three months minimum impounding period
* motorcycle – P6,000 fine and three months minimum impounding period
All violators will also face revocation of the CPC to which the apprehended vehicle belongs (except when the apprehended vehicle has a private or green plate).
Blacklisting of the apprehended vehicle and all other authorized units included in the CPC from being used as a public utility vehicle and revocation of the registration of the apprehended vehicle and all other authorized units included in the franchise.
Second offense
* revocation of all CPCs (the entire fleet) of the operator
* disqualification of the operator, and in the case of a corporation, all its stockholders and directors, from operating any kind of public land transportation
* blacklisting all authorized units (the entire fleet) of the operator from being used as public utility vehicles, and
* revocation of the registration of all authorized units (the entire fleet) of the operator
In determining the frequency of offenses, the LTFRB and its RFRBs will count offenses against operators and not against a particular motor vehicle or CPC. Hence, regardless of whether the first and second vehicles apprehended are included in the same or different CPCs, the second apprehension of a vehicle belonging to the same operator shall be counted as a second offense.
If a private motor vehicle operating as a PUV but without proper authority from the LTFRB is apprehended, the LTFRB or RFRBs shall, in addition to the abovementioned fines, impounding, and penalties, disqualify the registered owner, and in the case of a corporation, all its stockholders, owners, and directors, from operating any kind of public land transportation.
“If may ara kamo nga nabatian nga naga-operate nga colorum, indi magduha-duha nga magpalapit kag mag-report sa amon or sa LTFRB para mahatagan sang nagakaigu nga aksyon,” Otayde urged the public.
She also appealed to colorum operators and drivers to stop illegal operations.
“Kon nabudlayan kamo mag-process sang papers sa LTFRB and LTO, amon gina-advise magkadto sa opisina sang LTFRB or LTO kag magpamangkot kon ano nagakaigu nga obrahon para maasikaso ang papers para sa legal nila nga pag-operate,” Otayde added./PN
