/PNA
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said it is open to the idea of amending the Joint Administrative Order (JAO) 2014-01, which increases fines and penalties for colorum vehicle operators.
LTFRB Executive Director Samuel Jardin said JAO 2014-01, which was approved by Congress in 2014, could be amended to accommodate the possible adjustment of the fines against franchise offenders but not for the other types of violations.
“We cannot just revise other portions of JAO like penalizing taxi drivers who engage in overcharging of passengers. We need to review [JAO] so that if there is an application for reduction [of penalties], we may grant it,” Jardin said on Monday.
Under JAO 2014-01, franchise violators are fined the following amount: PHP1 million for buses; PUVs including public utility truck, PHP200,000; PHP50,000 for jeepneys; PHP200,000 for vans; PHP120,000 for sedans; and PHP6,000 for motorcycles.
Jardin was reacting to Sen. Grace Poe’s proposal to suspend JAO, particularly the penalties for “colorum” PUVs or those operating without a franchise permit, or outside their franchise area.
Poe, chairperson of the Senate public services committee who met with transport groups here last week, said the PHP1-million penalty was prohibitive for operators and drivers to pay.
“Where will the [PUV] drivers get that kind of amount? This is illegal because it is not the law, it’s merely a Joint Administrative Order implemented by the then [Department of Transportation and Communication] which is still being in effect even until today. We need to revise this,” Poe said.
But Jardin advised operators and drivers to secure their own franchise and comply with the conditions “to avoid getting penalized.” Obtaining a franchise, he added, is also an advantage for passengers who will be covered with insurance in the event of accidents.
“The only problem is that operators don’t bother to apply for a franchise,” he said, noting that most of the violators refuse to do so to avoid paying taxes and fees.
Jardin said LTFRB has opened numerous franchises in many parts of the country to accommodate the passengers’ demand for additional routes.
