By AARON B. RECUENCO
Director General Ronald dela Rosa, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said that a crackdown on colorum buses and other public utility vehicles (PUVs) may lead to a significant reduction of traffic jams in Metro Manila.
As such, Dela Rosa has instructed the Highway Patrol Group to intensify the anti-colorum operations in Metro Manila, particularly those travelling along the EDSA, Epifanio delos Santos Avenue, which serves as a symbol of worsening traffic woes in the country’s capital.
“I am advising them to intercept and impound more to ease EDSA of traffic jams. Continue running after these colorum vehicles,” said dela Rosa.
It was recalled that the HPG was tasked three years ago to help ease the traffic jams along EDSA. The police unit’s presence along EDSA remains as of this time.
Recently, President Duterte has ordered for a massive crackdown on colorum vehicles to which Dela Rosa responded by tasking the HPG to be the lead unit of the PNP in running after colorum vehicles.
For Dela Rosa, a strict implementation of the law on colorum vehicles would ease the traffic not only along EDSA but also in other major roads in Metro Manila.
“I know that there are a lot of vehicles there who are illegally using one license plate for instance for two or more passenger utility vehicles. So Highway Patrol (Group) should step up,” said Dela Rosa.
Almost 100 passenger buses have already been impounded by the HPG and other police units in Metro Manila and other urban areas in the country following the deadly bus accident in Occidental Mindoro that left 19 people dead.
Dela Rosa also made a special request to HPG and other police units to immediately arrest drivers of public utility vehicles who are using his pictures to avoid being accosted for traffic violation.
This following a report that a van driver was showing Dela Rosa’s pictures to policemen who arrested him.
“I am directing Highway Patrol to arrest these people using my pictures. Nobody is above the law. No matter who you are and which groups you are associated with, if you violate the law, you should be arrested,” said Dela Rosa.
