LTFRB-7 chief to go after fixers, colorum vehicles

CEBU, Philippines - Strict measures are now being implemented at the regional office of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) 7 to stop the activities of fixers in that government agency.

The Anti-Illegal Franchise Task Force composed of personnel from the LTFRB, Cebu City Transportation Office, Land Transportation Office and the PNP Highway Patrol Group is also being revived to run after colorum vehicles.

LTFRB-7 Director Ahmed Cuizon explained that he is introducing changes at his office to do away with fixers by allowing only legitimate transport operators or their liaison officers, lawyers and representatives to transact business.

If the transport operators choose to let their liaison officers do the transaction, clearances from the police and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), as well as biodata, pictures and identification cards would be required.

A few months after he assumed his post, Cuizon observed that fixers operate at LTFRB, prompting him to introduce counter measures.

According to Cuizon, they will also adopt the practice in other LTFRB offices wherein clients transact only at the receiving /releasing, assessment and payment windows.

“They will not be allowed to process their transactions by hopping from one table to another. They will only submit their papers and wait until these are released,” Cuizon said.

He ordered that routing slips showing the transaction process will be attached to all paper transactions. This will show who took action on the paper, the day and time he received it, and the day and time the paper was released.

Cuizon said those found to have caused the frequent delay in the approval of documents will be investigated and disciplinary actions will be imposed if warranted.

Cuizon will also transfer his office from the second floor to the ground floor so he can monitor the flow of transactions. This way, he said, he would also be more accessible to the public.

Cubicles of the staff will be renovated so these would only be waist-high to promote transparency.

The second floor of the LTFRB will be allocated for the administrative and accounting staff who do not perform frontline services. They will be joined by the audit personnel.

Meanwhile, Cuizon also revived the the Anti-Illegal Franchise Task Force.

“This is aimed at weeding out colorum transport operators especially since we are getting reports that there are quite a number of them out there. They pose danger to the riding public because they are not covered by insurance which is one of the requirements for the granting of franchises. These illegal vehicles are mostly dilapidated and unsuitable for public transport use,” he said.

Cuizon added that it’s also possible that these vehicles have fake franchises.

“We are thus training the members of the task force on how to determine fake papers from genuine ones,” he said.

He thanked LTO 7 Director Raul Aguilos, CITOM chairman Sylvan Jakosalem and CITOM executive director Raffy Yap for supporting the revival of the task force.

The task force was responsible for apprehending colorum PUJs, taxis and buses last year but it was deactivated by his predecessors. – (FREEMAN)