The Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) will “seriously consider” giving amnesty to colorum or illegally operating public utility vehicles (PUV) for the benefit of commuters.
DOTr Assistant Secretary Mark de Leon and LTFRB Chair Martin Delgra III said this on Thursday during the technical working group meeting of the House of Representatives transportation committee.
It was Marikina 1st District Rep. Bayani Fernando, former Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chair, who floated the idea during the meeting.
“The colorums are there, bata pa ko may colorum na… hanggang ngayon…” he pointed out. “Without the colorums it will be so difficult for people to get a ride and the role of the transport agency is to provide transport for everyone…. available muna dapat.”
“Lahat ng colorum bigyan na ng prangkisa dahil sila ang best measure of road capacity, dahil hindi tatagal ‘yan ng ilang dekada kung walang kita,” he continued.
De Leon agreed with Fernando, saying the DOTr already implemented a similar scheme in Mindoro after the franchise of a bus operator was suspended and cripple transportation there.