BCPO apprehends 26 colorum vehicles in two months
Hitting two birds in one shot, the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) apprehended a total of 26 colorum vehicles in a span of two months while implementing travel protocols along border checkpoints during the Coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.
The BCPO implemented 26 anti-colorum operations with 26 apprehensions from October 1 to December 2, 2021 according to P/Lt. Col Domingo M. Gambican, chief of the BCPO Operations Management Unit in a report dated December 3.
Four of the apprehensions were implemented in October, 19 in November and three in the first two days of December.
Most of the vehicles and their drivers were flagged at border checkpoint for transporting passengers from outside Baguio-Benguet without the required documents such as vaccination cards or QR code from the registration portal hdf.baguio.gov.ph for essential travelers and approved QR Tourists Pass from visita.baguio.gov.ph for tourists.
Further inquiries from BCPO personnel led to the apprehension of drivers for failure to show the required certificate to operate as public convenience (CPC) and special permit to operate a public utility vehicle from the Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB). Vehicles were brought to the Land Transportation Office (LTO) for impounding and proper disposition.
Drivers who failed to show documents as proof to transport passengers were issued traffic citation tickets while those operating as colorum vehicles were apprehended for violation of City Ordinance No. 55 series of 2017 or the Anti-Colorum Ordinance of the City of Baguio.
Other cases included vehicles with tourists transport documents and rent-a-van but picking up passengers on different locations or with booked trips online. Gambican reported that drivers were issued traffic citation tickets and passengers and drivers were subjected to triage check-up.
Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong reiterated that police personnel will continue implementing travel protocols amidst the COVID-19 threat and that violators – both vehicle drivers and passengers will be dealt with accordingly if only to ensure safe recovery from the pandemic. – Jessa P. Samidan
