Photo by Erwin Aguilon/RADYO INQUIRER
MANILA, Philippines鈥揂 transport organization for UV Express units is seeking the deferral of Thursday鈥檚 implementation of significantly higher fines and penalties for operators of public utility vehicles, saying more information was needed from a yet-to-be-completed study by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica).
Code-X Transport Federation, in a letter to the Inquirer, said the imposition of higher penalties was 鈥減remature and untimely.鈥�
The fines, imposed by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board and the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and approved by the Department of Transportation and Communications, will significantly increase the costs of companies that violate their franchises and permits.
The higher fines and penalties climb to as much as P1 million for 鈥渃olorum鈥� bus operators, under the joint administrative order (JAO 2014-01), compared to the previous P6,000.
Code-X said they are seeking a deferment of the JAO until the completion, evaluation and implementation of a study being undertaken by聽Jica聽which is to form the basis for the reopening of new franchises or certificates of public conveyance. It said the study will be used to determine whether to add or reduce the number of public utility vehicles on a certain route.
鈥淯nfortunately, the聽Jica聽study is yet to be completed resulting in a vacuum that聽colorum聽operators are trying to fill up,鈥� Code-X said.
鈥淭here are not enough new franchises to eradicate聽colorum聽operators,鈥� the group added. 鈥淵et there is high demand for vehicles to ferry the passengers to and from [their] place of work.鈥�鈥揗iguel R. Camus聽