The City Government of Zamboanga will conduct joint operations with the Land Transportation Office (LTO) – IX in a bid to contain the number of colorum vehicles operating within the city.

This developed after LTO Operations Division chief Olloy Jalaluddin paid a visit to City Administrator and concurrent chairperson of the city’s Tricycle Adjudication Board (TAB) Atty. Wendel Sotto, relaying concerns from LTO Central Office regarding the alarming number of colorums plying the city streets.

Under the said partnership, LTO will deputize policemen and the city’s traffic aides or “green boys”, authorizing them to make apprehensions for traffic violations that are normally under the agency’s purview and come with more stringent fines ranging from P1,078 to as much as P1M.

Sotto believes LTO’s heavier penalties will dissuade colorums and other violators from their willful disregard of traffic and road safety regulations.

LTO Traffic Enforcer Erwin Española further explained that the move to deputize policemen and green boys is primarily to augment LTO manpower to cover as much of the city as possible, including during nighttime and weekends.

Española, however, clarifies that not all policemen and green boys will be deputized.

“Only those who will pass the examination will be deputized,” he said.

Deputized policemen and green boys will then be authorized to confiscate driver’s licenses, impound vehicles, and issue Temporary Operator’s Permits (TOPs). (Claudine Uniana)