9 colorum traditional jeepneys impounded in Bacolod

At least nine colorum traditional jeepneys in Bacolod City were impounded by the Land Transportation Office (LTO) along with the Bacolod Traffic Authority Office (BTAO) and Highway Patrol Group (HPG) in various areas of the city on Monday afternoon, September 11.

Major Junjie Liba, head of BTAO, said Tuesday, September 12, that it’s a composite team to apprehend the colorum public utility vehicles (PUVs) operating in Bacolod City.

He said the operators of the impounded PUVs were fined P120,000 and P15,000 for the unregistered units.

He added that at least eight personnel from BTAO and Traffic Enforcement Unit (TEU) were deployed to assist in the operation of the LTO in the city.

LTO chief Renato Novero earlier said that they will intensify their operation against colorum PUVs operating in Bacolod.

Novero also asked for the assistance of the local government unit for the augmentation of personnel to be deployed on various streets.

He said the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) had already issued provisional authority (PA) to various PUV operators in Bacolod.

"Those who failed to avail the PA should not operate, and they will be considered illegal," Novero added.

Of the 3,100 registered traditional jeepneys in 2019 in Bacolod, at least 1,600 have already availed the PA, City Administrator Atty. Pacifico Maghari III said.

"So for now, at least 1,000 colorum traditional jeepneys are operating in Bacolod," he said.

He added that, based on the latest circular of the LTFRB, the PA is only valid until December 2023.

Moreover, Liba said he is hopeful that they will be given a temporary operator's permit (TOP) so they can implement the national traffic laws to penalize the violators.

He said he already submitted the list to the LTO to deputize the BTAO personnel.*