‘Colorum’ Bus Apprehended, to Face P1M Fine

● Chassis serial numbers did not match to the serial numbers indicated in the vehicle’s Certificate of Registration (CR).

Following the implementation of stiffer fines over ‘colorum’ vehicles that sparked a paralyzing transport strike last Thursday, the Land Transportation Office (LTO)-7 apprehended a passenger bus plying the route Samboan-Oslob-Cebu City after its chassis
serial numbers did not match to the serial numbers indicated in the vehicle’s Certificate of Registration (CR).

LTO-7 enforcers impounded the bus after seizing it along national highway in Baranagay Lawaan, Talisay City Thursday night while in route to Cebu City.

Sunrays bus (GWF-633), owned and operated by ‎Jerel Transport Corporation, was flagged down by the LTO personnel for some violations. They inspected the vehicle’s serial numbers of its engine and chassis and compared them to the ones reflected in the CR.

Acting LTO-7 Regional Director Arnel Tancinco said his personnel impounded the bus after they found out that the chassis serial numbers did not match to the serial numbers indicated in the CR.

He added there is also an indication that the vehicle’s engine numbers are tampered.

Checkpoints

Last Thursday, law enforcers started to enforce the DOTC Joint Administrative Order 2014-01 by conducting checkpoint operations. The controversial order imposed a higher penalty and fines to all ‘colorum’ vehicles: P1 million to operators of buses, P200,000 to operators of trucks and vans, P120,000 to owners of cars (sedan), P50,000 to operators of jeepneys and P6,000 to owners of motorcycles, like those used for “habal-habal.”

Dishonest Scheme

Sources said there are some unscrupulous bus owners who operates colorum vehicles by making use of the serial numbers of a registered vehicle and placed it in another ‘unregistered’ unit, including the plate. This will make it appear that the ‘unregistered’ unit is legal.

Not ‘Colorum’

A representative of Sunrays Bus Lines, who asked anonymity, denied that their bus is a colorum, although she admitted that its chassis contains two different sets of serial numbers.

“Bag-o man g’yud na nga sakyanan nga gipalit namo sa Isuzu ug ang gamay nga numero mao kuno na ang production number ug ang dako nga numero mao g’yud ang chassis serial numbers,” the bus company employee said.

Usual Procedure

Alita Pulga, assistant LTO-7 regional director, said the matter will be referred to the adjudication section where the bus owner will be required to submit purchase papers and other documents of the vehicle. Pulga explained that it is a usual procedure for LTO to impound the vehicle once they will discover indications that it is unregistered like for instance when the vehicle’s engine and
chassis serial numbers could not match with those contained in the certificate of registration.

Tancinco also said LTO Chief Alfonso Tan Jr. had instructed all LTO regional directors nationwide to allow their organic personnel to operate on their own against the colorum vehicles for a period of one week from June 19.