![Land Transportation Office-Bacolod City chief Renato Novero in a meeting the city officials, Bacolod Traffic Authority Office, Bacolod City Police Office, and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, at the Government Center Thursday, August 31.
[PIO photo]](http://media.assettype.com/sunstar%2Fimport%2Fuploads%2Fimages%2F2023%2F09%2F01%2F460925.jpg?w=480&auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=max)
The Land Transportation Office (LTO) in Bacolod City will intensify its operation against colorum public utility vehicles (PUVs) operating in the city starting next week, LTO chief Renato Novero said Thursday, August 31.
Novero said they had already asked for the assistance of the local government unit for the augmentation of personnel to be deployed in various areas of Bacolod.
Novero, along with the city officials, Bacolod Traffic Authority Office (BTAO), Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO), and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), held a meeting at the Bacolod Government Center Thursday to address the LTO's problem of lack of personnel to operate in Bacolod.
Novero said in Bacolod City, they only have two personnel deployed in the streets to apprehend the PUV violators as well as the private vehicles.
He said they asked the city government to provide them with at least 20 personnel from BTAO and BCPO, including gasoline.
Novero stressed that the LTFRB had already issued provisional authority (PA) to various PUV operators in Bacolod.
"Those who failed to avail the PA should not ooperate,and they will be considered illegal," Novero said.
He said they initially started in July 2022 where they impounded at least four colorum PUVs.
He added that the operator of the impounded colorum PUV will be fined P120,000 and P15,000 for the unregistered unit.
Novero noted that they will train the BTAO and BCPO personnel to be deployed to apprehend the violators.
"It's a composite team, and we will operate every day on various streets," Novero said.
City Administrator Atty. Pacifico Maghari III also said of the 3,100 registered traditional jeepneys in 2019 in Bacolod, at least 1,600 of them already availed the PA.
"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.
Maghari also assured that the city will provide assistance to the LTO.*