DAVAO CITY – City transport operatives impounded 48 vans operating outside the authorized van terminals in the city, and warned operators against pushing their luck further.
Retired police Superintendent Rodelio Poliquit, chief of the City Transportation and Traffic Management Office, told reporters that his operatives stopped and impounded 48 passenger vans found operating outside the five recognized van terminals in the city.
The apprehension came in two days of highway operation following the director of Mayor Rodrigo Duterte to clamp down on the operation of passenger vans outside of these terminals.
Aside from the main Davao City Overland Transport Terminal, the other areas with legally authorized terminals for van operations are in SM City Quimpo Boulevard, Tulip Drive in Matina, and in Gaisano Mall, Victoria Plaza and Abreeza Mall, all along Bajada
Duterte has ordered a composite team from the Land Transportation Office, highway patrol group, traffic group of the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) and the CTTMO.
While some vans and buses were found to have questionable franchise and certificates of public conveyances, Poliquit said they left it to the LTO to do the apprehension saying his office is not autorized to apprehend franchise-related violations.
Edgar Violan, action officer of the Land Transportation Franchizing and Regulatory Board, said there are terms and conditions of the franchise or the certificate of public convenience which the operators should abide with.
Violan, said that the there is a need to hold dialogue with the operators and the traffic law enforcesment agencies to remind them about the policy of the city and the national government.
“Way back two years ago we also had a meeting with the van terminal operators and bus operators at the office of 911. We reminded them also about these unauthorized loading and unloading passengers but we still have these arrests,” he said. (davaotoday.com)
