BAGUIO City Police Office’s Traffic Management Branch (TMB) has accused Transportation and Communication Regional Director Federico Mandapat Jr. of preventing the apprehension of colorum vehicles.
The issue was raised during last Monday’s session of the City Council when La Trinidad operators and drivers asked for exemptions in the implementation of Magsaysay traffic scheme.
Some members of the council asked TMB head Engelbert Soriano about the possibility that traffic congestion might be due to the presence of colorum vehicles.
Soriano was also asked if his team apprehends PUVs that have illegal franchises. He replied his team once apprehended a colorum vehicle.
He said he was allegedly called by Mandapat and was told not to apprehend them.
Councilors, on the other hand, said the TMB should not be prevented because they are assisting the Department of Transportation and Communication in decongesting the city’s streets.
In reaction, Mandapat said he never asked Soriano not to apprehend colorum vehicles. “We welcome the TMB’s assistance for we lack manpower.”
He said he asked Soriano that when apprehending colorum vehicles, they should check for the availability of petitions for extension of validity of franchise or the presence of registration records.
“If a vehicle is registered for the current year, it means there is a petition for extension of validity,” Mandapat explained. (Rimaliza Opiña)