The Cordillera office of the Department of Transportation (DOTR-CAR) recently intensified the agency’s anti-colorum campaign to ensure the safety of motorists and passengers with the expected exodus of people to the provinces in time for the celebration of the Yuletide season.
DOTr-CAR regional director lawyer Joshau Pablito warned erring operators and drivers of colorum vehicles that business permits issued by local governments are not justifications for them to ferry passengers to their desired areas of destination inside and outside the region.
Further, he added that tourist transports cannot also ferry passengers on a per head basis because the franchise granted for their operation is on a point to point basis, thus, they should not circumvent their respective certificates of public convenience because they will surely be apprehended by the agency’s deputized agents and enforcers.
For the past several months, Pablito disclosed that the agency’s deputized agents and enforcers apprehended nearly 60 colorum vehicles that were immediately impounded and are now subjected to adjudication and litigation which serves as a clear message to erring operators and drivers to start legalizing their operations or face the consequences of the risk they are taking to earn income.
According to him, appropriate communication letters were already sent by the agency to the different local governments in the region informing them that the business permits being issued to operators of garage vehicles are not substantial to justify their operations on a per head basis because the same requires the issuance of the mandatory certificate of public convenience (CPC) being processed and issued by the Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB).
He explained that the intensified anti-colorum campaign is being nationwide to curb the proliferation of vehicles being used to ferry passengers inside and outside the region without the required CPC issued by the LTFRB.
Pablito claimed that the Cordillera ranked second among the agency’s various regional offices in the number of apprehended colorum vehicles operating within its area of jurisdiction as par of the ongoing efforts to curb the proliferation of colorum vehicles plying the roads in the different parts of the region.
Aside from the impounding of the colorum vehicles, operators face a fine of up to P200,000 once apprehended by law enforcers once their cases have been adjudicated by the agency.
The DOTR-CAR official appealed to operators of colorum vehicles to legitimize their operations to avoid being meted with the stiff penalties and to guarantee the safety of their passengers when plying their approved routes inside and outside the region.
The DOTR-CAR continues to embrace the appropriate adjustments needed to be able to go after the operation of colorum vehicles with the expected increase in the frequency of travel by the people to their desired areas inside and outside the region for the yuletide season celebrations.
