AN official from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) on Sunday expressed hope the next administration will criminalize colorum violations to alleviate the number of public-utility vehicles (PUVs) traveling without permits to operate.
“[We should] legislate to make colorum activity as a criminal offense,” LTFRB Board Member Ariel Inton said, noting dispelling criticism that the board has been “soft” on colorum violators.
“We are very serious in fighting colorum, but I admit that there are several limitations that must be addressed,” he said.
Inton was referring to the limitation in the Joint Administrative Order (JAO) of the LTFRB and the Land Transportation Office (LTO) that makes them the only deputized agencies to fight colorum.
“Meaning to say, other enforcement units cannot apprehend and enforce the JAO provisions. We have a situation wherein a policeman cannot apprehend a colorum vehicle based on JAO, simply because he is not deputized to do so,” Inton said.
The board member further said the LTFRB-deputized personnel do not have the violation tickets to be issued against the drivers/operators who are sought to be apprehended. Therefore, without the LTO, the LTFRB could not do it alone.
Inton said colorum operation is a form of economic sabotage, because it unfairly competes with the legitimate franchise holders.
“If we don’t fight colorum violators, then public transport will be a failure and people will no longer use it,” Inton said.