TABUK CITY, Kalinga – Colorum tricycle owners in the city should seriously consider having their franchise with the intensified campaign against those illegally operating public utility vehicles (PUVs).
Just recently, a team from the Public Order and Safety Office (POSO), Philippine National Police, Highway Patrol Group, Business Permit and Licensing Office, and City Legal Office launched another crackdown against colorum tricycles.
POSO Supervising Administrative Officer Ernesto Dela Cruz Jr. said they are intensifying their aggressive campaign against colorum vehicles until they have acquired all their required franchise to legally operate.
“Tuloy-tuloy daytoy (anti-colorum campaign tayo) inggana haan maibus dagita colorum,” Dela Cruz said.
Colorum refers to private vehicles with no franchise being used as PUVs. Dela Cruz said most of the colorum tricycles operating in the city are bought by operators on loan installments, so they do not have the necessary requirements to apply for a franchise, such as original copy of the registration certificate, which suppliers would give only after getting fully paid.
In an attempt to help them acquire franchise quickly, Dela Cruz said the city government had asked suppliers to fast-track the issuance of certificates of registration and license plates for these vehicles.
“Kinatungtung ti city government dagiti suppliers like K-servico, nga nu mabalin ket issue-an da isuda ti certification nga dagitoy ket utang, ken nu mabalbalin ket isapsapa da nga ited ti certificate of registration, ken paspasan da kuma, especially dagiti issuance of license plates, tapnu masapa da nga mailakad idiay Land Transportation Office,” Dela Cruz said.
As per city ordinance, he informed that violators shall be fined PhP1,500 if without franchise and PhP200 if without mayor’s permit.
Dela Cruz said a large number of colorum tricycles are still operating in the city which, he said, is not fair for drivers who complied to the legal requirements.
“Adu pay lang ti (colorum tricycles), siguro 50% pay lang ti adda franchise na,” Dela Cruz said.
He said the city government has also been continuously conducting education campaigns among drivers and operators, but still a lot of drivers refuse to comply.
“We are undertaking education campaigns to these operators and drivers, explaining ti proseso ti panagpa-franchise ken ilawlawag kanyada dagitoy benefits ti adda franchise na, gapu ta adu kanyada ti haan da ammu proseso ti panag-apply, ngem adu latta ti haan nga ag-apply ta maimpluwensyaan da met lang kadagiti saan na kayat agala,” Dela Cruz said. By Rod Asurin