LTO to partner with PNP to intensify anti-colorum efforts

The Land Transportation Office on Friday said it will seek the assistance of the Philippine National Police in addressing concerns of transport groups against colorum public utility vehicles.

In a statement, LTO chief Assistant Secretary Atty. Vigor D. Mendoza II said transport groups complained that they have been losing 30% of their income due to illegal operations of colorum PUVs.

“Matagal na itong reklamong ito ng ating mga kapatid sa transport sector kaya tayo ay hihingi ng tulong sa ating PNP upang madagdagan ang ating puwersa para matigil na ang iligal na operasyon ng mga taong nasa likod nito,” said Mendoza.

(The transport sector have been complaining about it for a long time that is why we are going to ask for PNP's help to augment our forces in order to stop the people behind these illegal operations.)

He added the officers from the PNP Highway Patrol Group and territorial units will serve as additional, essential manpower for the department’s anti-colorum efforts.

Meanwhile, Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista said that sustaining ongoing and successful anti-colorum campaigns are vital in assisting transport groups to recover from the impact of the illegal operations.

“Dapat nating ipagpatuloy 'yung enforcement, para mahuli 'yung mga colorum operators, kawawa naman 'yung mga legitimate transport operators, gastos nang malaki pero hindi nila magenerate 'yung revenue na dapat sa kanila dahil sa operations ng colorum. Through our effort, we can make their business profitable and sustainable,” Mendoza said.

(We should continue the enforcement to arrest the colorum operators. I feel sorry for the legitimate transport operators, they shell out a lot of money but they cannot generate the revenue they needed because of colorum operations.)

Regional directors of the LTO have already been instructed to intensify their anti-colorum efforts, in addition with LTO-initiated dialogues with existing transport groups to ensure that the crackdowns do not turn into extortion.

“Habang magiging agresibo ang kampanya natin sa mga colorum na pampublikong sasakyan, titiyakin din natin (While we are aggressively implementing our anti-colorum operations, we will make sure) that this is being enforced properly and with integrity on the ground,” said Mendoza. —Jiselle Anne Casucian/AOL, GMA Integrated News