MMDA resumes crackdown on colorum buses, trucks

MANILA, Philippines - The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) restarted yesterday its crackdown on colorum buses and trucks.

As of 4 p.m. yesterday, seven out-of-line provincial buses, a colorum or unregistered bus and 10 Asian utility vehicles were apprehended along EDSA in Balintawak while seven out-of-line buses were flagged down at White Plains in Quezon City under the MMDA’s “Operation Project Disiplina,” Chairman Francis Tolentino said.

The MMDA also reported the apprehension of a cargo truck at White Plains-EDSA. Trucks are banned from using EDSA at any time from Magallanes in Makati to North Avenue in Quezon City.

Tolentino said the intensified drive against these illegal vehicles would help ease traffic congestion along the metropolis’ major thoroughfares, particularly along EDSA.

MMDA operations chief Emerson Carlos said the MMDA will also flag down trucks that will violate the truck ban hours on EDSA past North Avenue.

He also said private trucks with green license plates, whose owners were issued a provisional authority to operate by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), will also be stopped and impounded.

According to Tolentino, the drivers of the apprehended vehicles were issued traffic violation receipts while their vehicles were brought to the agency’s impounding facilities in Barangay Tumana, Marikina City. The owners of the vehicles were also fined P6,000.

The crackdown was resumed after mayors comprising the Metro Manila Council, the MMDA’s policy-making body, came out last Monday with a resolution opposing two circulars and a board resolution issued by the LTFRB.

LTFRB Memorandum Circular 2014-09 suspends operations against out-of-line public utility vehicles, MC 2014-10 stipulates the implementing guidelines on the rationalization of routes for provincial and city buses while Resolution 05 series of 2014 states a “no apprehension policy” for trucks for hire with green plates until Aug. 29.

LTFRB defends stance

The apprehension of colorum trucks and the ban on trucks during certain periods are two different policies and the moratorium on apprehensions does not prevent authorities from implementing the ban, LTFRB chairman Winston Ginez said yesterday

“Our circular does not prevent the MMDA and the local government units from imposing the truck ban,” Ginez told The STAR.

The LTFRB chair was referring to a circular issued by the board on June 28 to stop apprehending trucks-for-hire still bearing green plates, to allow them to apply for franchises and avail of the yellow plates. A provisional authority is given to them while the franchise application was being processed.

But the board extended it for another month, citing the large number of truckers yet to apply for the provisional authority and franchises.

These policies stemmed from another policy, a joint administrative order imposing higher penalties and stiffer sanctions on traffic violations, including colorum operations.

Ginez said trucks-for-hire with green plates had been plying along C-5 Road and Katipunan Avenue and the other streets of Metro Manila even before the LTFRB issued the moratorium.