Task force vs. illegal PUVs launched

An inter-agency task force that will carry out a renewed campaign against colorum or illegally-operating public utility vehicles (PUVs) was launched on Wednesday at the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) headquarters.

Task Force KAMAO is geared towards implementing anti-colorum initiatives. This remains in line with the government's jeepney modernization program. pic.twitter.com/pqbhxlJ2w7

— Rie Takumi (@rie_takumi) March 28, 2018

The LTFRB-led Task Force Kamao was conceived by Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade to unify anti-colorum efforts by various transport-related agencies, though it will not replace the Inter-Agency Council for Traffic (I-ACT).

"Mabigat 'yung ating kalaban," Transportation Undersecretary Tim Orbos said at a press conference. "Ang panlaban dito ay magsama-sama, magsanib-puwersa."

IACT will lead operations in Metro Manila for Task Force Kamao and Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group Police Superintendent Oliver Tanseco will serve as its spokesperson.

Among the agencies tapped to help the LTFRB with the initiative are the Land Transportation Office (LTO), Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), PNP-HPG, and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

I-ACT vowed to intensify its anti-colorum drive following Duterte's order to the police to arrest drivers and operators of colorum PUVs in light of last week's bus accident in Occidental Mindoro where 19 people were killed.

As bad as illegal drugs

Orbos compared the campaign against colorum PUVs to President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs.

"Comparable 'yung nangyayari sa drugs at colorum, ganun din po eh," he said. "Namamatay din 'yung tao, walang proteksyon. In some cases, mas malala pa kasi walang kalaban-laban 'yung mananakay. Whereas sa drugs sarili lang niya pinatay niya."

He said the task force will take a similar approach to the war on drugs but did not elaborate on this before leaving the press briefing.

LTFRB chair Martin Delgra III said anti-colorum efforts are needed to crack down on opportunistic individuals, syndicates using colorum PUVs to carry out crimes, and even legal franchises who still permit colorum units to run out of their garages.

Task Force Kamao aims to use the expertise of each agency to "identify the enemy" and figure out where colorum units are operating to maximize the limited resources available to the group.

"What is a neat element here is the information-gathering aspect of this inter-agency task force, by which we'll be able to gather the information involving colorum so that we will be able to effectively use our limited resources with the maximum impact against colorum activities," Delgra said.

"We need to identify the enemy: gaano kalaki, saan nag-ooperate," he later added. "In a task as big as this... kailangan talaga na merong organisasyon."

Police Chief Superintendent Arnel Escobal identified the Bicol region and other areas in Visayas in Mindanao as hotspots other than Metro Manila for colorum activities.

"NCR, Region 4-A, CALABARZON, and the Bicol region — 'yan talaga ang madalang. Coming from the National Capital Region, pupunta pa 'yan sa Visayas and Mindanao," he said.

"Hindi lang po yan yung ibang enterprising individuals na nagpapatakbo ng colorum buses. Even big bus companies, meron silang mga units na colorum na walang certificate of public convenience," Escobal continued.

A list of colorum violators are being prepared along with more impounding sites in seven to eight regional offices to accommodate the PUVs to be impounded in Task Force Kamao's operations.

Delgra said 313 taxis, buses, and jeepneys have been impounded from January to March 2018 and that P87,583,925.65 in fines have been collected since he was appointed to the LTFRB.

This does not include the fines collected from transport network vehicle service Uber. —KBK, GMA News