AT LEAST five modern public utility vehicle (MPUV) drivers were apprehended on July 8, 2025, in Cebu for violating passenger capacity limits under the anti-sardinas policy of the Department of Transportation (DOTr).
The Land Transportation Office in Central Visayas (LTO 7) carried out the apprehensions on orders from Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon, who earlier said the measure was needed to curb the dangerous overloading of public utility vehicles.
The apprehensions were divulged to SunStar Cebu on Thursday, Aug. 21, by Eduardo Montealto Jr., director of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board
(LTFRB) 7.
Montealto said commuters reported the violations. He said most of the apprehended drivers operate along the Talisay–IL Corso route during peak hours.
The LTFRB 7 chief said operators replaced the drivers involved, prompting them to be more cautious.
He said MPUVs are allowed a maximum of 10 standing passengers. A memorandum circular sets the limit at five passengers per square meter, but since vehicle sizes vary, LTO 7 and LTFRB 7 agreed to set the cap at 10.
Montealto said the two agencies also conduct random field inspections. They agreed that all show cause orders will name the erring drivers, allowing LTO 7 to sanction them, with LTFRB 7 serving as the complainant.
Before the DOTr announced compliance with its anti-sardinas policy in July, a video from SunStar Cebu’s Junior Journo program reporting on overcrowding inside MPUVs had gone viral on social media.
Commuters are urged to report violators through LTFRB Central Visayas’ official Facebook page, via email at r7@ltfrb.gov.ph, through its hotline at 0917-704-6862, or by calling (032) 344-9182. / DPC