Transport Secretary Joseph Abaya: Harsher penalties. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines–The government is imposing stiffer fines on “colorum” vehicles or public utility vehicles operating without the necessary franchise from government regulatory agencies.
Violators will have to pay fines ranging from P6,000 for illegal motorcycles to as high as P1 million for buses operating illegally.
The higher penalty was pushed by the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) and Land Transportation Office (LTO) in the revised schedule of fines and penalties for violation of laws, rules and regulations governing land transportation.
The higher fines contained in the joint administrative order (JAO) take effect on June 19, or 15 days after their publication in two newspapers of general circulation today.
“Safety is always our priority. Recent accidents have highlighted the need for harsher penalties to deter illegal PUV practices and to better protect the public. The most significant change we are imposing is the P1-million fine on colorum bus operators for the first offense,” Transport Secretary Joseph Abaya said in a statement.
LTFRB Chair Winston Ginez said the P1-million fine was meant to be a strong deterrent. “The instruction of Secretary Abaya was to make the fines not really affordable,” Ginez said. “We are declaring that it should end already.”
The fine for other first-time colorum offenders are as follows: trucks–P200,000; jeepneys–P50,000; vans–P200,000; sedans–P120,000; motorcycles–P6,000.
Apart from fines, colorum vehicles will be impounded for a minimum of three months. Their certificate of public convenience (CPC) and registration will be revoked. They will also be blacklisted as PUVs.
For the 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 and their registrations revoked. The violating operator will be disqualified from operating any kind of public land transport.
Also covered by the order are other PUV-related violations such as refusal to convey passengers to their destination; overcharging; employing reckless, insolent, discourteous or arrogant drivers; operating
PUVs with defective parts; using tampered taximeters; and trip cutting.