DOTR, LTO poised to go after colorum PUVS

Legitimate transport operators have been losing 30 percent of their income due to the operation of colorum public utility vehicles (PUVS), the Department of Transportation (DOTR) has disclosed.

Complaints from transport groups have prompted DOTR Secretary Jaime Bautista to order the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to further intensify the crackdown on colorum PUVS across the country.

“I know that Assistant Secretary Vigor (LTO Chief Vigor Mendoza II) has implemented programs regarding this (colorum PUVS). We have to sustain the enforcement to apprehend the colorum operators because it is the legitimate transport operators who are affected,” said Bautista.

“They are spending a lot for the operation but they could generate the revenue intended for them because of the operations of colorum. Through our effort, we can make their business profitable and sustainable,” he added.

Mendoza earlier ordered all Regional Directors to intensify the campaign against colorum PUVS in their respective areas, which resulted in the apprehension of colorum vehicles.

He also initiated dialogues with transport groups, which in turn, have committed to deploy volunteers as mystery drivers of colorum PUVS in order to ensure that the crackdown would not result in extortion activities.

As a result, at least six LTO enforcers were sacked from their posts and are now being investigated for extortion activities.

On Friday, Mendoza said they will coordinate with the Philippine National Police (PNP) in strengthening the conduct of aggressive campaigns against colorum PUVS.

Mendoza said the Highway Patrol Group (HPG) and the territorial units of the PNP will provide the essential manpower to further boost the anticolorum drive amid the complaints of the transport groups that they have been losing 30 percent of their income from illegal operations of colorum PUVS.