AUMENTADO (FB)
CEBU CITY – The province of Bohol has created a task force to strengthen efforts against illegal transport operations.
The Provincial Anti-Colorum Task Force is composed of various agencies and will function based on the guidelines provided by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board-Central Visayas (LTFRB-7).
The guidelines were submitted by the LTFRB-7 to Gov. Aris Aumentado.
In a letter dated Dec. 5, LTFRB-7 Director Eduardo Montealto Jr. said the guidelines were transmitted following a meeting with the provincial government where both parties recognized the urgency of addressing unlicensed or “colorum” transport operations.
The "Guidelines for the Task Force on the Apprehension of Colorum Operations in Bohol" is intended to serve as the framework for an executive order by the provincial government that will institutionalize a strengthened, multi-agency task force.
The guidelines will support legal, safe, and properly regulated transport service operations.
Moreover, the proposed task force seeks to ensure commuter and tourist safety, protect legitimate transport operators, and enhance Bohol’s image as a tourism-friendly destination.
It will be chaired by the governor or his authorized representative and will be co-chaired by a designate from LTFRB-7, Land Transportation Office (LTO), or the Provincial Administrator's Office.
Member-agencies include LTFRB-7, LTO-7, Bohol Provincial Police Office, Highway Patrol Group, Department of the Interior and Local Government, the Bohol Provincial Tourism Office, Provincial Legal Office, and other concerned local government units and agencies.
Furthermore, the guidelines outline the legal bases, objectives, composition, and operational procedures of the task force, covering intelligence gathering, joint enforcement operations, apprehension and impoundment protocols, and sustained monitoring and evaluation.