Colorum vehicles, as sad as it is to admit, are pretty common around Metro Manila. It’s not unusual to see a van, shuttle, or jeepney illegally plying our roads without the proper registration or permits. Such is the state of our transport system.
Sheer proof of this is the Special Action and Intelligence Committee for Transportation’s (SAICT) anti-colorum operations. The Department of Transportation (DOTr) reported that in December 2023 alone, the crackdown resulted in a total of P20.8 million in penalties against operators and drivers of these colorum vehicles.
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The fines imposed were P200,000 per colorum van and P1 million per colorum bus. A hefty amount, yes, but the DOTr says this was part of its efforts to prioritize road safety for its commuters. The agency is anticipating more illegal and unregistered vehicles to be exposed as it intensifies its anti-colorum operations.
“To this end, SAICT is urging the public to report any suspicious or unauthorized transportation services to the DOTr Commuter Hotline 0920-964-3687, contributing to the overall efforts in dismantling the colorum network in the metropolis.”
Frankly, this is quite alarming. These vehicles shouldn’t be on our roads in the first place, but at the same time, a lot of commuters actually need the services that they provide. We reckon people wouldn’t have to patronize these illegal operators anyway if they had the choice, to begin with, so it still all boils down to improving our transport system. Here’s hoping this year, things will change for the better.
