Solon urges PUV amnesty program to replace ‘colorum’ vehicles with ‘new electric’ units

A lawmaker has proposed that colorum public utility vehicles (PUVs) be swapped for new electric and environment-friendly vehicles, as part of the PUV amnesty program the Department of Transportation (DOTr) is proposing to Congress.

"When the Department of Transportation (DOTr) proposes to Congress a detailed amnesty program for colorum jeepneys, buses, UV express, and taxis, I will support it in the form of a bill. However, such an amnesty program should [be] attractive enough to entice even the critics of public utility vehicles (PUV) modernization," House Committee on Transportation member and AASENSO Party-list Representative Teodoro G. Montoro said in a statement on Saturday.

Under Montoro's amnesty proposal, operators of the colorum units should surrender their amnesty-covered vehicles to the government, which will replace all non-roadworthy vehicles with new electric vehicles.

Further, all roadworthy cars shall be turned over to state universities and colleges (SUCs) in the provinces, to function as service vehicles to ferry students and faculty.

Under the amnesty program, all surrendered colorum vehicles will be replaced with brand-new electric vehicles which the owners will have to pay in easy-installment plans.

The colorum owners will only need to pay for the difference in price of their amnesty-covered colorum vehicles and the new electric vehicles.

Under the program, the government will not be filing charges and will not prosecute for the colorum violations.

Montoro says it is one of the solutions to adress the heavy traffic in Metro Manila.

"An amnesty program would be one effective way to remove tens of thousands of vehicles from the congested streets of Metro-Manila and other urban areas. It can also make urban air cleaner."

"Turning over the roadworthy colorums to SUCs will address some of the access problems of students and faculty who travel long hours just to get to school," Montoro continued. — MDM, GMA News