Kalinga ups campaign against colorum PUJs

By Larry Lopez and Peter Balocnit

TABUK CITY, Kalinga -- Operators of illegal public utility vehicles, known as colurum vehicles, are given ultimatum to stop the illegal trade, lest, they be meted full course of the law.

This was the stern warning issued by Land Transportation Franchising & Regulatory Board Cordillera regional director Celina Claver in yesterday’s dialogue with transport sector, here.

Leaders of the transport group raised during the dialogue the tolerant attitude of the police towards colorum operators who wittingly ply legally applied transport routes without any apprehension.

Claver during the occasion immediately issued an order to deputized personnel of the police and Land Transportation Office enforcers to apprehend all illegal vehicles engaging in the transport business.

She said the move is part of the government campaign againstcolorum or illegal PUJs operating without any franchise from the LTFRB.

Claver also lectured on the protection losses of riders who ride in illegal PUJs in cases of accidents since these are not covered by any insurance.

Aside from defrauding the government of due fees and taxes, illegal transport operation is unsafe to the riding public, Claver stressed.

During the dialogue, Claver also ordered transportation authorities to track down proper issuance of driver’s licenses and registration of vehicles.

She warned government and police vehicles are not exempted from the rule saying let us rather serve as examples and models of the public.

“How can we be credible enforcers of the law if people see us as prime violators of what we are enforcing”, she noted.

Meanwhile, the city government and the Philippine National Police vowed to help the Land Transportation Office clear city streets of colorum vehicles and enforce traffic laws in their strict terms and spirit.

City Mayor Ferdinand Tubban announced he will issue an executive order creating an anti-colorum task force to once and for all cleanse the streets and highways within this city of unregistered vehicles and apprehend traffic violators.

This is the local government’s manifestation of concrete support to the campaign of government for the mandatory registration of motors and vehicles and compliance of all concerned to laws and regulations of LTO and LTFRB, he said.

Tubban directed Supt. JeremiasOyawon, chief of this city’s PNP to strictly enforce the law.