LTFRB wants NBI to probe viral post on 'colorum' rides

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) should look into a posting about 'colorum' vehicle operations that went viral on Facebook, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said on Tuesday.

In a briefing in Malacañang, LTFRB chair Martin Delgra III cited a screenshot of an LTFRB Citizen Enforcer’s response when asked if asking for payment from carpooling friends is considered an illegal activity.

The response implied that carpooling, with or without payment, was considered a colorum operation.

Colorum is a locally coined word for a public transport vehicle operating without a franchise.

“I have to clarify it with the head of the PACD – the Public Assistance Complaint Desk – who was handling that. He told me na iba ‘yung sagot niya doon sa nag-viral,” Delgra said.

The staff who wrote the reply on Facebook explained that the original response to the netizen’s query was long, not a mere “Yes, Sir ... ” Delgra said.

“That is why we will now be calling the NBI to investigate how that happened. Kasi iba ang lumabas doon sa nagva-viral na pho– ... screenshot,” he added.

The viral post has received almost 13,000 shares and around 19,000 reactions as of 6:30 p.m. 

“Ang tamang sagot po ganito. Going back to the basic reg ... the basic requirement of a public transpo is that when you take in a passenger for a fee, then you undertake a public transportation service. If you don’t, wala,” Delgra said. — VDS/JST, GMA News