(File photo from LEO M. SABANGAN II)
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has issued a stern warning against colorum operators as the government intensifies the campaign against them.
On Wednesday, the DILG, the Department of Transportation and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority signed a memorandum of agreement to launch a crackdown on colorum vehicles.
DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos reminded violators that they could be slapped with up to P1 million fine if they are caught by authorities.
“Napakalaki po nito. Napakabigat po. Kaya warning na lang po, kung may colorum vehicles kayo, huwag na po kayong lumabas dahil siguradong mahuhuli kayo,” Abalos said in a statement.
(This is quite big. This is very heavy. So this is a warning. If you have colorum vehicles, do not go out, because, for sure, you will be caught.)
“Mai-impound (ang inyong mga sasakyan) at ito ay sinasabi mismo ng batas, and we have to implement the law,” he told colorum owners.
(Your vehicles will be impounded, and this is what the law prescribes, and we have to implement the law.)
Colorums are vehicles that no proper franchises but are still being used for public transportation.
“Ang mga colorum na ito ang siyang nagpapadami ng mga sasakyan. Kaya ang utos po sa amin ng Pangulo ay gawin namin ang lahat upang maibsan namin ang traffic dito [Metro Manila],” Abalos added.
(This colorum system is what increases vehicle volume, so the President’s order for us is to do all that we can to alleviate traffic congestion in Metro Manila.)
In its Joint Administrative Order No. 2014-01, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board prescribed the penalties for colorum vehicles as follows:
First offense:
Buses – P1 million
Vans and trucks – P200,000
Sedan vehicles – P120,000
Jeepneys – P50,000
Motorcycles – P6,000
For the first offense, operators of Public Utility Vehicles will have their Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC) and their vehicle registration for the entire franchise revoked, on top of their vehicle being blacklisted from being used as a PUV.
The fines for the first offense will also be supplemented with an impoundment of the vehicle for one month.
On the other hand, the second offense will penalize the operators of PUV through the revocation of the CPCs of their entire fleet, disqualification from operating any kind of public land transportation, and blacklisting of all units in the fleet from being used as a PUV, and revocation of all registrations of the entire fleet.