Continued enforcement campaign against illegal public transport operations led to the apprehension of a “colorum” or unregistered passenger van in southern Negros Occidental, the Land Transportation Office – Negros Island Region (LTO-NIR) reported on Wednesday, August 5.
“We will not tolerate colorum operations. Every apprehension is a firm reminder that the law applies to everyone, and public safety will always come first,” LTO-NIR officer in charge Director Jeck Conlu said.
The agency’s Regional Law Enforcement Service team intercepted a Nissan Urvan vehicle in Pontevedra town, traveling from Bacolod City to Sipalay City, with 11 paying passengers on board despite lacking the required authority to operate as a public utility vehicle.
Legal and administrative proceedings for the apprehended vehicle followed in accordance with existing transportation laws and regulations, according to the report.
Conlu said the LTO-NIR continues to strengthen its enforcement efforts to ensure that only authorized public utility vehicles operate on the region’s roads.
“We urge the public to patronize only legitimate transport services for their own safety and protection. Our operations against colorum vehicles will remain relentless,” he added.
In previous months, the LTO-NIR had intercepted six vans operating in Negros Occidental, including Bacolod City.
An undercover operation at the Bacolod North Terminal in Barangay Bata caught a Toyota HiAce Commuter van illegally soliciting passengers and collecting fares ranging from PHP130 to PHP200 each.
The van’s routes include the cities of Cadiz, Sagay, and Escalante in northern Negros.
Four colorum vans were also intercepted in the adjacent Bago City, and another one from Negros Occidental on the way to Dumangas port in Iloilo.*PNA
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