Caloocan reports drop in 'colorum' trikes

MANILA, Philippines - The number of out-of-line or “colorum” tricycles plying roads in Caloocan City has significantly gone down this year due to the city government’s sustained campaign against such vehicles, city hall authorities said yesterday.

Figures reaching the office of Caloocan City Mayor Enrico “Recom” Echiverri show that only 136 colorum tricycles were apprehended by the local Tricycle and Pedicab Regulation Office (TPRO) between January and October this year.

According to Echiverri, the low number of apprehensions can be attributed to the city government’s “Zero Colorum” program, initiated in 2008. The city government used to apprehend up to 500 out-of-line tricycles a year before the program was launched.

Under the program, some 2,000 colorum tricycle operators were awarded franchises while Echiverri personally met with officials of different Tricycle Operators and Drivers Association (TODA) to ask them to officially take all out-of-line tricycle drivers into their organization.

The city currently has 100 TODAs, all of which are required to renew their permits every year – a measure that has allegedly proven to be effective in the campaign against colorum tricycle operators.

Echiverri said even though the program ended last year, its effects continue to be felt – legitimate tricycle drivers and operators are earning more after their unregistered counterparts were taken off the streets.