MANILA, Jan. 8 — Numbering the days of colorum operations with new yellow license plates and pushing a paradigm shift to sustainable public utility vehicles (PUVs), these programs mark the beginning of the Department of Transportation and Communications’ (DOTC) program for 2015 to aggressively push for the modernization of the country’s public land transport services.
DOTC Secretary Jun Abaya on Wednesday joined the Land Transportation Office (LTO) in issuing the brand-new, security feature-packed yellow license plates to PUVs; as well as the Land Transportation Franchising & Regulatory Board (LTFRB) in inspecting the first-ever proposed route for electric jeepney (e-jeep) services in Quezon City.
“Safety and sustainability – these are key concepts in our modernization programs. Today is a milestone in the promotion of road safety through the use of new yellow license plates, and in the shift to sustainable, environmentally-friendly public transportation through electric-powered PUVs,” said Abaya.
“The new PUV plates will marginalize colorum operators. They cannot be removed and transferred from one vehicle to another. They will indicate the vehicle type as well as the place of its registration. The ‘third-plate’ windshield sticker will also display the PUV’s plate number and authorized route,” Abaya explained.
The new yellow-and-black plates issued by the LTO under the leadership of Assistant Secretary Alfonso Tan, Jr. have the same security features as the white-and-black private motor vehicle plates, such as tamper-resistant locks and screws to permanently attach the plate to the vehicle, thereby preventing ‘tanggal-plaka’ practices, and reflectorized sheeting to make the PUV plates visible from afar and from any angle.
“Meanwhile, our inspection of the very first proposed route for e-jeepney services ushers in a new paradigm for public land transport services. We hope this is the start of replacing smoke-belching and poorly-maintained jeeps with high-tech, efficient, and environmentally-friendly e-jeepneys,” Abaya said..
The LTFRB, led by Chairman Winston Ginez, supports sustainable PUV services in line with established policies. It is mandated to hear and rule on the petition for issuance of new certificates of public convenience (CPC) for E-Jeepney. E-jeeps are expected to have modern features such as a cashless payment system using reloadable cards, fixed stops, GPS and wi-fi connectivity, side entrance for easier boarding, and CCTV cameras to better ensure passenger safety, among others.(dotc.gov.ph)