Conquering the Colorum

MANILA, Philippines - Colorum – a colloquial term we often hear when it comes to the ramblings about public transportation on Philippine roads. Why, even as a child, I had often heard the term – pronounced in that distinctly malutong way – as if it were one of the permanent evils that was just another part of our forlorn, 3rd-world Filipino lives.

Today, I would like to revisit this stubborn plague to our streets... and since I am grown-up now, discuss it more objectively. For starters, “What officially defines a colorum vehicle?” With the help of LTO-NCR regional director Atty. Teofilo Guadiz III, a brighter light can now be shed on many aspects of this age-old issue.

“Basically, colorum vehicles are private vehicles that operate as PUVs (public utility vehicles) with no registered franchise from the LTFRB,” says Guadiz. “There is also another type of colorum – these are PUVs that do possess a permit to operate, but are operating out of their line, o bukod sa kanilang designated na routa,” he carefully points out.

Now, on top of the obvious hassles, magnified by these colorum vehicles – such as careless passenger loading and unloading; the absence of proper safety-monitoring of these public vehicles; and the absence of government protection for these PUV drivers – Guadiz emphasizes that “These illegal practices do not only make a mockery of our laws, but also cause the congestion of our thoroughfares and dilute the income of legitimate public utility operators and drivers.”

The top two cities with the highest incidence of colorum vehicles are: Pasay (most especially in the Buendia-Taft area) and Muntinlupa.

Therefore, in a serious effort to cleanse the Metro’s streets of colorum vehicles and illegal terminals, Guadiz has reconstituted the Regional Law Enforcement Group, augmented their numbers, and ordered them to intensify their operations against violators. LTO-NCR also formally launched their regional campaign, “No to Colorum on the Roads”.

To uphold the aforementioned campaign, the beefed-up Regional Law Enforcement Group will now be present and working on the streets 16-hours a day, all the way into the weekends; compared to the old 8-hour shifts that ran Monday to Friday only. Additionally, from now on, only the chief of each law enforcement unit will have advance knowledge of which areas will be targeted next, so as to minimize the possibility of information leaking out to violator groups. The rest of the law-enforcers shall be given the details of their mission, the morning they assemble.

Moreover, there will now be a shame campaign wherein violators’ vehicles will be “soaped down” (literally hosed with soapy foam) to signify cleansing of the crime, and the cleaning of our roads. “We will clean the streets of Metro Manila even if it takes soaping violators down to remind them that commuters deserve services that are clean – meaning they are legitimate and road-worthy,” says Director Guadiz with conviction. “Sasabunin namin ang mga may-ari (figuratively) at ang kanilang mga sasakyan (literally),” he warns.

Colorum vehicles are easiest to identify via their displayed plate numbers. Their plate numbers are supposed to carry codes that pinpoint their routes of operation, so a law enforcer is trained to keep an open eye for fishy codes. Furthermore, fake PUV plates are also fairly easy to identify. Upon close visual inspection, fake plates appear thinner and are of crude workmanship.

What proves to be challenging however, are multiple vehicles that use the same plate number. If these vehicles are confusingly identical, then an officer would have to check that vehicle’s registration papers, and compare it against the vehicle’s physical chassis number. An inspection an officer may have to make, based on gut-feel, or on a completely random check.

Penalties for identified colorum vehicles include: technical impounding (wherein plate number is confiscated); actual car impounding (wherein violator gets a ticket + needs to pay P20,000 + P1,500/day for each day that vehicle is not claimed); and seizure of the vehicle + 3-month suspension of the driver + P3,000 in fines, if the same vehicle is apprehended for the 3rd time.

The good news is that concerned citizens may now also report colorum operations and illegal terminals in Metro Manila via LTO-NCR’s hotline numbers, 438-8688 and 0915-5832662. Citizens need only provide the time and place they saw the colorum operation/s, and the plate number/s of the vehicle/s involved.

Finally, NCR’s law enforcers are frequently reminded by Director Guadiz to enforce the law without fear or favor, and to remain good public servants by not associating themselves with the rampant colorum underground organizations.

Having said all that, we can hopefully look forward to “cleaner” and safer streets in the Metro.