JEEPNEYS which have not joined cooperatives will be considered illegal or ‘colorum’ starting today, May 1.
Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) chairman Teofilo Guadiz III issued this warning saying there would be no more extension of the deadline for franchise consolidation after the April 30 deadline despite the ongoing protests of transport groups against the modernization program.
Guadiz said that the LTFRB had given the jeepney operators ample time to consolidate. He added that agency’s offices had been open until 10 p.m. Tuesday to accommodate the expected increase in the number of jeepney drivers and operators who wanted to beat the deadline.
“A lot of these hesitant operators decided to come to the LTFRB office at the last minute to file their petition for the accreditation of their cooperative,” Guadiz said.
“Technically they are already colorum, but there is such a thing as a day in court. We will give them that benefit. We will give them that opportunity,” he added.
The LTFRB has said its enforcers will issue traffic citation tickets to drivers caught using “colorum” vehicles, and that a penalty of one-year suspension of their driver’s license will be imposed.
“Colorum” vehicles will also be impounded and the operator slapped with a P50,000-penalty, he said.