“These illegal public utility vehicles deprive us of our lawful means of living and have been brazenly violating our laws on transportation since 2011,” said a complaint filed by the Tarlac-Moncada-Gerona- Paniqui Transport Cooperative, Inc. (Tamogepa) before the regional LTO office here.
Tamogepa officers, led by chairman Bernie Fajardo, personally handed over their letter of complaint to LTO Regional Director Marina De Jesus before offices closed for the Holy Week holidays. The complaint urged De Jesus to “immediately apprehend and impound all the colorum vans”.
It cited Joint Administrative Order No. 2014-01 of the LTO and the Land Transportation Regulatory Board (LTFRB), the fine for an apprehended colorum vehicle is P200,000 and impoundment of the unit.
The group said almost 200 colorum vehicles ply the route of legitimate public utility vehicles whose operators pay dues to the government. The colorum vehicles, on the other hand, are private vehicles used and operated as a public utility vehicle without government permit.
“Among other violations, they bear no LTFRB body markings, with green plate numbers and are without Certificate of Public Convenience or CPC.” Tamogepa noted.
The group lamented that law enforces have remained reluctant to stop the operation of the colorum vehicles.
The letter told De Jesus “we are simply asking from you to implement the laws against the violators and act against LTO personnel who are blatantly neglectful of their sworn mandate.”
Tamogepa is the biggest “legal transport group” north of Tarlac.
The issuance of a CPC, or franchise, is regulated by the LTFRB headed Winston Gines and a CPC application undergoes a tedious and costly deliberations and hearings, Fajardo noted.
Tamogepa members said the increase in the number and unhampered operation of colorum vehicles could happen only in collusion with officials of the local LTO.
“We have resorted to all legal means for the redress of our grievance. If we remain ignored, perhaps we will have no option but to take the law unto our hands against these colorum vehicles,” Fajardo warned.
The group lamented that irony of the lawlessness of colorum vehicles in Pres. Aquino’s Tarlac home province, despite his “daang matuwid” or straight path policy.