Government agents resumed operations against colorum cars and dilapidated public utility vehicles and apprehended more than 150 violators on Wednesday.
Members of the Interagency Council for Traffic (I-ACT) conducted the simultaneous operations in the areas of SM North Edsa in Quezon City and Masinag in Antipolo City.
A separate I-ACT team also conducted sidewalk clearing and roadworthiness operations along Santolan, 2nd Avenue, 4th Avenue in Camp Crame area, also in Quezon City.
Manuel Gonzales, Council head secretariat, said the I-ACT men impounded 34 colorum and illegally parked vehicles during the operation. He added 54 motorcycles were also towed for various violations.
“So far, this is the biggest number of apprehension in a single day,” said Gonzales.
Gonzales also said 18 vehicles were also the subjects of subpoena for smoke belching and violating the government policy dubbed as ‘Tanggal Bulok, Tanggal Usok.’
The latest operation brings to 3,205 the total number of apprehensions since the I-ACT started the campaign last January.
I-ACT is composed of personnel from the Metro Manila Development Authority, Land Transportation Office, Police-Highway Patrol Group and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.
The Council recently launched Task Force Kamao in response to President Rodrigo Duterte who ordered a crackdown on all colorum vehicles nationwide, including arresting their drivers and operators.
I-ACT chief Thomas Orbos, the campaign against colorum vehicles, illegally parked and dilapidated vehicles will be relentless not only in Metro Manila but in the entire country.
Authorities admitted that colorums were among the culprits that caused heavy traffic on major thoroughfares.
Under a Joint Administrative Order issued by the LTO and LTFRB: Operators of colorum buses will be fined P1 million for the first offense, P200,000 for trucks and vans, P120,000 for sedans, P50,000 for jeepneys, and P60,000 for motorcycles.
Six years ago, the Metro Manila Council, MMDA’s policy-making body composed of the 17 mayors, authorized the agency to implement vehicle tagging of all registered and franchised public utility vehicles plying the major and secondary roads of Metro Manila.
The scheme aimed to wipe out colorum and out-of-line PUVs and improve the MMDA traffic monitoring and surveillance. It will also facilitate easy tracking and identification of traffic violators because the license plates of the PUVs will be painted prominently on the roofs, making it easy for the MMDA’s CCTV cameras to capture images and identify them.
But the scheme, according to some observers, was a failure.
