New DOTC tool vs. colorum vehicles: Yellow license plates

The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) on Wednesday launched new yellow license plates as part of its efforts to eliminate colorum vehicles.

The new yellow license plates include a marking that indicates the place of registration, the route, and the vehicle type (bus, truck, taxi, UV express, jeepney or school bus), according to a report on "24 Oras."

The new plates cannot be removed or transferred from one vehicle to another, it said.

DOTC expects that the new plates will be effective in eliminating colorum vehicles within 10 months. 

DOTC Assistant Secretary Alfonso Tan said there are already more than a hundred operators and drivers of colorum buses who are now facing charges. They will be fined P1 million.

"Mabilis naman adjudication namin, so charged na sila and na-impose na 'yung fines," Tan said.

He, however, noted that no one has paid the fine yet.

"'Yan ang titignan natin," Transportation chief Joseph Emilio Abaya said.

Abaya said not all drivers and operators of public utility vehicles (PUVs) are against the new plates.

"Sila ang nangungulit sa amin, 'Kailan niyo ipapatupad, hinihintay na namin 'yan, magbabayad kami dahil clearly this will address colorum.' So, I don't buy the fact that lahat ng nasa public utility vehicle industry are objecting," Abaya said.

A 2013 data from the Land Transportation Office shows that there is a huge difference between the number of registered private vehicles and the number public or for hire vehicles.

Utility Vehicle:
Private-1.54 million
Public-209,342

Bus:
Private-7,429
For Hire-23,743

Truck:
Private-325,412
For Hire- 23,807

Trailer Truck:
private - 33,915
For Hire - 3,985

—Kathryn Mae Tubadeza/KBK, GMA News