Report ‘colorum’ school buses, overloaded tricycles—LTO-NCR

MANILA, Philippines—To assure the safety of students, the Land Transportation Office-National Capital Region continues to monitor and reprimand colorum (illegally-operated) school buses and overloaded tricycles.

In an interview with anchor John Susi on Radyo Inquirer early Wednesday, lawyer Teofilo Guadiz, LTO-NCR director, said they caught a lot of private vehicles and overloaded tricycles carrying hapless students in the first three days of classes.

He said for a vehicle to operate as school bus, it must have an LTFRB franchise.

“It’s easy to distinguish, legal school buses must have yellow plates and its exterior painted yellow,” said Guadiz.

He explained the fine for the owner-operator of colorum school bus is P6,000 (six thousand pesos) plus three-month suspension on the vehicle and driver.

The fine for the driver of overloaded tricycles carrying students is P1,500 (one thousand and five hundred pesos) plus three-month suspension.

The maximum number of passengers for a tricycle is four, including the driver.  “Ideally, there should be only two passengers inside the tricycle and one at the back of the driver. More than that, it’s a violation of the law,” Guadiz said.

He urged the public to report to the nearest LTO office if they caught violators of the law.

“It’s for your kids’ safety,” said Guadiz. Totel V. de Jesus, INQUIRER.net