THE Department of Transportation (DOTr) will continue to apprehend the operations of colorum vehicles — the colloquial term for transport operations without franchises — especially since their operations have led to the spread of Covid-19 in Bicol.
However, for commuter group The Passenger Forum (TPF), the government should look at this issue as a symptom of a disease rather than the root cause of the problem.
“Our stand is that if vehicles are colorum, especially if they become super spreaders, it’s just right to apprehend. But our appeal to the government is to look at this not as a problem, but a symptom of a disease. People ride colorum vehicles because of the lack of supply, so our call to the government is for them to look at it and address it,” TPF Convenor Primo Morillo said in a phone interview.
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade late Saturday said the anti-colorum operations in Bicol have resulted in 12 apprehensions, and that according to the local disaster and relief office, 79 individuals who were riding the colorum vehicles tested positive for Covid-19.
Another seven positive cases were added to the list from the anti-colorum operations conducted over the weekend.
The transport department’s anti-colorum operations for Bicol will run until April 6.
“We will not move forward with the fight against Covid if we will blatantly disregard the quarantine protocols. Let us set aside our personal interests to save lives. Let us not be a vector in spreading Covid-19,” Tugade said.
Morillo noted that the government should look into adding more supply of public utility vehicles to address this problem. Likewise, aside from the supply, the government should also consider adding more routes.
“The government should reveal the data on the current supply and franchise so that we could create a concrete solution for this. We believe that aside from the volume, we also lack actual routes,” Morillo said.
Moreover, he said his group has found that some operators refusing to operate even with a franchise as their limited operations will only result in financial losses. Public transport vehicles are allowed to operate at a maximum capacity of 50 percent.
“Hence, we are calling on the government to subsidize transportation during the quarantine,” Morillo said.
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