LTO-7: 63 PUVs fail Holy Week roadworthiness inspection

Photo from Land Transportation Office in Central Visayas

CEBU CITY, Philippines — A total of 63 public utility vehicles (PUVs) were not allowed to ply its routes this Holy Week after these failed the roadworthiness inspection conducted by personnel of the Land Transportation Office in Central Visayas (LTO-7).

The PUVs were sent back to its respective garage while its owners/operators were directed to immediately fix the identified defects.

Inspections by LTO-7 personnel were made in line with the implementation of the “Oplan Biyaheng Ayos!: Semana Santa and Summer Vacation 2023” campaign which started on March 31.

READ: Oplan Biyaheng Ayos: 24 PUVs fail LTO-7’s roadworthiness test

Last April 4, LTO-7 first reported that a total of 24 PUVs failed the roadworthiness inspection. The number increased to 63 as of Saturday, April 8, according to Herty Lopez, the LTO-7 information officer.

In the last nine days or from March 31 to April 8, LTO-7’s field personnel inspected a total of 492 PUVs in Central Visayas.

Of these, a total of 429 passed the inspection. The 63 others were found with defects and were sent back to its garages. These included 45 public utility buses (PUBs), 16 UV express, and two public utility jeepneys.

Defects that were noted, include the continuous use of worn-out tires, defective signal lights, non-functioning wiper or washer, broken windshield, and defective seatbelts.

Lopez said that majority or 22 of the 63 defective vehicles were found at the Cebu South Bus Terminal, the biggest public terminal in the region.

A total of 16 PUVs were from the Kamagayan UV Express terminal while 15 others were from the Cebu North Bus Terminal. Five vehicles were from the Bogo City Bus Terminal, two each were from the Siquijor Bus Terminal and the Bantayan Island Terminal while one was from the Daanbantayan Bus Terminal.

Lopez said that the assigned driver and/or vehicle owner were not issued with citation tickets. They were merely told to correct the defects found on their units.

Aside from looking into the condition of the vehicles, LTO-7 inspectors also checked on the licenses of its drivers, vehicle registration, and the franchises of the PUVs.

Meanwhile, The LTO-7  also apprehended a taxi driver and a van driver for using units that lacked the required franchises.

The owner/operator of the “colorum” taxi is facing a penalty of P120,000 while his/her unit would also be impounded for three months.

Moreover, the owner of the “colorum” van would be asked to pay a fine P200,000 while his/her unit would be impounded for three months.

Lopez said that LTO and other agencies that are under the Department of Transportation (DOTr) will continue to conduct terminal inspections and roadside operations until April 17. At the same time, they would also distribute information education campaign (IEC) materials to ensure safe travel.

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/dcb