LTFRB may impose P1M penalty on bus firms with ‘colorum’ units

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board may impose million-peso fines on bus companies that have unauthorized buses plying the streets of Metro Manila as a way to solve the metro's traffic woes.

 

LTFRB chairman Winston Ginez said at a House panel hearing on Tuesday that the agency’s proposal to impose a steep fine on erring bus companies might help address the proliferation of illegal, or colorum, buses along Edsa.

 

“Problema po ang pagpasok ng mga provincial buses na may ruta outside of Metro Manila but they are still seen along Metro Manila. We are now revising our fines and penalties and we have discussed this with bus operators. The proposal is now at the office of the DOTC (Department of Transportation and Communication) secretary,” he said.

 

The House committee on Metro Manila Development met on Tuesday to discuss the traffic situation in the metropolis, which is expected to worsen as construction on several infrastructure projects starts.

 

Under the LTFRB’s proposal, operators of colorum buses caught plying the streets of Metro Manila will be slapped with a P1 million fine and the impoundment of the vehicle for three months for the first offense.

 

The bus company’s franchise and certificate of public conveyance will be cancelled for the second offense while the third offense will merit the blacklisting of the involved unit and the perpetual disqualification of the board of directors and the stockholders who own and operate the vehicle.

 

After the fourth offense, the registration of the bus company’s entire fleet will be cancelled and the units can no longer be resold to other operators.

 

Ginez asked lawmakers to come up with a legislation to increase the fines and penalties on colorum buses so that the stiffer punishment will be imposed even when LTFRB officials are replaced with new ones.

 

“Kung administrative order lang ang ie-enforce namin, pwedeng mapalitan [yung punishment] o maibalik sa dati kapag may bago nang administration,” he said. — JDS, GMA News