Members of the Baguio City Council are pushing for a unified approach to address the rampant operation of colorum vehicles in the city.
Colorum vehicles are private vehicles operating as public transportation without meeting the legal requirements of obtaining the necessary permits. They are used to transport passengers for a fee, even though they are not registered public transportation vehicles.
According to leaders of public transport groups in the city, there are no recorded instances of jeepneys operating as colorum vehicles. However, a few taxis may be operating as colorum vehicles, while the majority of colorum vehicles are vans.
Despite the claim of the Department of Transportation-Cordillera (DOTr-CAR) that apprehensions are done on a daily basis, the city council argued that aggressive actions against colorum vehicles had dwindled over the years.
During the city council’s regular session on Jun 10, 2024, Vice Mayor Faustino Olowan urged the DOTr to enhance its efforts in enforcing anti-colorum regulations. He noted that while there had been significant apprehensions in the past due to rigorous enforcement, there has been a noticeable decline in the effectiveness of enforcement recently.
Aside from the dwindling efforts to apprehend colorum vehicles, the city council also pointed out the lack of coordinated action among the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO), city government, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), Land Transportation Office (LTO), and DOTr.
Councilor Betty Lourdes Tabanda stressed that, under City Ordinance 55-2017, enforcement responsibility is placed on the BCPO. On the other hand, Atty. Krystel Grace Sanchez of the DOTr said only deputized agents of the LTO and LTFRB are authorized to apprehend colorum vehicles under DOTr Joint Administrative Order 2014-14.
Sanchez admitted that there had been no significant coordination between the police and DOTr or LTO. She further noted that the ordinance is not consistent with the guidelines of the national agencies, making it violative.
Sanchez explained that the type of ticket being issued to violators determines the jurisdiction for apprehension. Temporary Operators Permits (TOPs) fall under their jurisdiction, while Traffic Citation Tickets (TCTs) under the city ordinance are under city government’s jurisdiction.
Tabanda and Sanchez agreed that coordination among enforcement units is necessary to avoid confusion about who should apprehend violators and to make implementation more efficient and organized, with every violation being recorded under the demerit point system pursuant to Republic Act No. 10930.
Penalties for colorum vehicles under the LTFRB guidelines vary depending on the type of vehicle. For jeepneys, the penalty is P50,000.00 and a three-month impounding of the vehicle. Tricycles or motorcycles face a penalty of P6,000.00, sedans or taxis face a penalty of P150,000.00, vans face a penalty of P200,000.00, and buses face a penalty of P1 million.
On the other hand, the city ordinance only imposes a maximum penalty of P5,000.00, which is the limit allowed by the local government unit under the Local Government Code.
Tabanda said the city’s Traffic and Transport Management Division should coordinate with the DOTr or the LTO to reconcile differences in enforcement practices and suggested the possible repeal or amendment of the existing city ordinance for a more streamlined approach.
To reinforce the city government’s efforts against colorum vehicles, the city council passed a resolution in 2023 requesting the City Mayor’s Office to create an Anti-Colorum Task Force aimed at apprehending unauthorized public transportation vehicles.
Sanchez confirmed the existence of the task force and said that it should coordinate with their office. This coordination would allow immediate action against violations during inspections.
Rhey Bacoco, President of UV-Express Federation in the city, said there are terminals in the city for colorum vehicles which legal operators had been complaining about. He specifically mentioned Rizal Park and the old 3H terminal where private vans are often seen. He suggested checking all terminals in the city to ensure they are operating legally.
Bacoco also proposed that the LTFRB should track franchise holders in specific terminals, especially those using UV Express franchises, to ensure compliance with regulations.
He emphasized the importance of designated off-street terminals for UV Express vehicles and specified examples such as MH Del Pilar for routes to Dagupan and San Carlos and Diego Silang for Baguio-Rosario routes.
Bacoco said there is a need for proper submission of franchises in terminals as the absence of franchise holders could indicate issues within a terminal. **Jordan G. Habbiling
