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Over 200 ‘colorum’ buses, vans impounded in crackdown


The Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group has impounded 210 colorum vehicles as it intensified its operations against PUVs that have no franchises on orders of President Rodrigo Duterte.

HPG director Chief Superintendent Arnel Escobal said that the unit had impounded a total of 119 colorum buses and 91 colorum passenger vans.

Most of the impounded vehicles came from the MIMAROPA region, B from where 51 buses and 21 vans were apprehended.

"Well, pinakamarami pa rin yung sa 4-B kasi ito yung usual na route ng Dimple Star. Yung Dimple Star naman not necessarily na colorum siya but lahat ng Dimple Star with their colorum or may franchise pinahuli 'to because of the aksidente," Escobal said at a press briefing.

Escobal said police officers only arrested drivers who has existing violations as contrary to the order of the President.

"Usually yung proseso natin eh ini-impound muna natin and then ang colorum naman kasi it is the fault of the operator and supposed to be 'pag bago nila pinataybo 'yan eh may prangkisa but as to the drivers, kung ano yung violation nila, huhulihin natin sila don," he said.

Operators will have to pay a fine of P1 million for buses and P200,000 for vans which may have a minimum impounding period of three months.

Declaring a nationwide crackdown on colorum passenger vehicles, Duterte said he wanted policemen to arrest drivers and operators. He also told the authorities to kill drivers or operators if their lives would be at risk while making the arrest.

Duterte issued the order following the Dimple Star bus crash in Occidental Mindoro which left 19 people dead and 21 others injured.

He had admitted that the government is to blame for not decisively curbing the proliferation of colorum passenger vehicles, adding laws and regulations against illegally operating units must be fully enforced. —NB, GMA News

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