Amend law on colorum vehicles, solons urged

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. is urging lawmakers to amend the law on public conveyance in colorum operations.

Concerned about the proliferation of the colorum PUVs, Abalos argued that the fines imposed on violators are not enough to stop the illegal operation.

At present, vehicles apprehended for colorum operations are impounded until the owners pay the fines.

Abalos pointed out that the penalty for colorum operations is a fine of only around P6,000 and nothing else. "It is very easy for them to just pay the fines, drive away with their vehicles and the following day, they’re back on the road," Abalos said.

He proposed that the law on public conveyance be amended to allow government agencies involved to confiscate the colorum vehicles.

After taking the vehicles, the government would then auction them off to the highest bidder.

Abalos said that this might be the only way to discourage the operation of colorum vehicles. In the case of legitimate franchise holders caught operating colorum vehicles, Abalos said that this should already be reason enough for the revocation of their franchises.

Abalos also said that he has forged an agreement with the Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board to penalize the owners of PUVs without garages.

Under the agreement, all applicants for franchises must have garages as a prerequisite for he issuance of a franchise.

In the meantime, Abalos said that the owners of the PUVs parked on the streets would be penalized.

Earlier the Philippine National Police-Traffic Management Group (PNP-TMG) reported yesterday that more than 2,000 passenger buses have been plying EDSA routes illegally.

Superintendent Mario Avenido, chief of the TMG-National Capital Region, said the buses, which do not have franchises from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), contribute to the heavy traffic along EDSA.

According to LTFRB, a total of 5,000 passenger buses are plying EDSA and only 3,000 have franchises to operate. "We accost drivers and impound buses at impounding areas everyday. But operators manage to get their buses back just hours after the apprehension when they pay P6,000 in fines," Avenido said.–  Marvin Sy