LTO taps PNP-HPG’s help in drive vs colorum PUVs

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) will work with the Philippine National Police Highway Patrol Group (HPG) in strengthening the conduct of aggressive campaigns against colorum public utility vehicles (PUVs) across the country. LTO chief Vigor Mendoza II, the HPG and the territorial units of the PNP will further boost the anticolorum drive amid complaints by transport groups that they have been losing 30 percent of their income due to illegal operations of colorum PUVs. “We have been receiving these complaints from our stakeholders from the transport sector for so long. That’s why we are now asking for help from the PNP so that we have additional forces to go against the illegal operation of these colorum vehicles,” Mendoza said in a statement on Friday. Last week, Mendoza ordered all regional directors to intensify the campaign against colorum PUVs in their respective areas, which resulted in the apprehension of several colorum vehicles. Mendoza also initiated dialogues with transport groups, which in turn, have committed to deploy volunteers who will pose as drivers of colorum PUVs to ensure that the crackdown would not result in extortion activities. At least six LTO enforcers were sacked from their posts and are now being investigated for extortion activities.

—Dexter V. Cabalza