IACT to intensify anti-colorum drive starting Monday

The Inter-Agency Council for Traffic (IACT) will intensify the government's anti-colorum operations on Monday following President Rodrigo Duterte's crackdown order.

"In response to the President's directive to crack down on colorum PUVs (public utility vehicles), IACT (Inter-Agency Council for Traffic) will conduct an intensive anti-colum operation tomorrow, March 26 (Monday)," it said in a statement sent via text message.

The operations will cover various bus terminals in Caloocan City, Cubao in Quezon City, and Pasay City, and will be led by Transport Undersecretary for Road Transport Thomas "Tim" Orbos.

Orbos also sits as concurrent head of the IACT, which consists of the Department of Transportation (DOTr), the Philippine National Police Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG), the Land Transportation Office (LTO), the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).

The LTFRB earlier conducted anti-colorum operations in Balintawak, Quezon City, which resulted in the apprehension of the drivers of three colorum vehicles.

Among those caught operating colorum PUVs were a provincial bus with an expired Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC) and two vans — one from Bohol going to Baguio City, and another from D. Tuazon going to Pampanga.

Just last week, Duterte directed policemen to arrest drivers and operators of colorum PUVs nationwide following a bus crash in Occidental Mindoro that killed 19 people and left 21 other injured.

"Isulod gyud sa kulungan kay patilawon nako na sila (Lock them up because I want them to experience life in jail)," Duterte said in his native Cebuano. "Why? Because they are foisting a fraud."

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade on Saturday said the IACT will draft a plan to rid the country of colorum PUVs. —Jon Viktor D. Cabuenas/ALG, GMA News