Transport group seeks to stop move to hike fines

MANILA, Philippines - A coalition of transport groups is set to stop the implementation of the Joint Administrative Order (JAO) of th government which effectively hikes penalties and sanctions for land transport violations.

The Stop and Go Coalition said it will ask the Supreme Court to halt the implementation of the JAO issued by Land Transportation Office and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.

The JAO was approved by the Department of Transportation and Communications.

In a press statement, the transport coalition's president, Jun Magno, will file before a High Court a petition for a writ of certiorari and temporary restraining order against the JAO.

"Ang mga dagdag multa (fines and penalties) na iyan ay unconstitutional, excessive at makakasira sa negosyo at kabuhayan ng mga sektor transportasyon,"  Magno said.

"Kapag 'di ito naharang panibagong 'kotong modus operandi' na naman ito ng mga enforcers at pulis sa kalsada," he added.

The coalition claims that it has 65,000 members and over 60 federations and associations nationwide. 

Under the JAO, which will take effect on June 19, the fine for other first-time colorum offenders are: trucks – P200,000; Jeepney – P50,000;  vans – P200,000; sedans – P120,000;  and motorcycles – P 6,000.

Apart from the new fines, the colorum vehicles will also be impounded for a minimum period of three months.

The entire certificate of public convenience (CPC) to which the colorum vehicle belongs will be revoked, as well as their vehicle registrations. They will also be blacklisted from being used as PUVs in the future.

In case of a second offense, the entire fleet or all CPCs of the erring operator will be revoked, the vehicles will be blacklisted from being used as PUVs in the future, and their vehicle registrations will also be revoked.

The violating operator – and in case of corporations, the stockholders and directors – will be disqualified from operating any kind of public land transportation.

The JAO covers other PUV-related violations as well, such as the refusal to render services to the public or to convey passengers to their destination, overcharging, employing reckless, insolent, discourteous, or arrogant drivers, operating PUVs with defective parts and accessories, using tampered taximeters, trip cutting, among others.

A P5,000 fine will be imposed on those who fail to attach, and those who improperly attach or tamper with motor vehicle license plates and the third-plate stickers. This includes the attachment of any unauthorized accessory or device which impedes the visibility or reflectivity of the valid license plate or third-plate sticker.

Unauthorized license plates and third-plate stickers will be confiscated in favor of the government.

Penalties for other violations, such as driving without a valid driver’s license, reckless driving, failure to wear a seatbelt, driving an unregistered motor vehicle, and other breaches of traffic rules and regulations, are also provided for in the JAO.