Bacolod city: The Land Transportation Office (LTO) intercepted six vans in its heightened operations against 'colorum' (illegal) passenger vans operating in Negros Occidental, including Bacolod City, this week.

According to Philippines News Agency, the LTO regional offices in Western Visayas (Region 6) and Negros Island Region (NIR) have teamed up for an intelligence-driven crackdown on unauthorized transport services operating between Negros and Panay, as stated in a news release on Friday.

In Negros Occidental, the undercover operation at the Bacolod North Terminal in Barangay Bata on October 7 caught a Toyota HiAce Commuter van illegally soliciting passengers and collecting fares amounting to PHP130 to PHP200 each. The van's routes include the cities of Cadiz, Sagay, and Escalante in northern Negros. A citation ticket for colorum operation and reckless driving was issued to the 48-year-old driver. The private van, which lacks a franchise from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, has been impounded at the LTO District Office in Barangay Mansilingan.

On the same day, LTO agents also apprehended four colorum vans in Bago City and another one from Negros Occidental on the way to Dumangas port in Iloilo. LTO-6 Regional Director Gaudioso Geduspan II emphasized that these actions prioritize legal operators and public safety. Geduspan, together with LTO-6 Assistant Regional Director Jeck Conlu, the concurrent OIC regional director for NIR, supervised the anti-colorum operations of the two regions' law enforcement teams.

On Friday, the LTO-6 also reported intercepting two colorum vans in separate operations in Sebaste in Antique and Nabas in Aklan. Including the earlier vehicles seized in Negros Occidental and the rest of Panay, 38 illegal passenger vans have already been apprehended across the two islands this year, LTO-6 data showed.

Meanwhile, Geduspan expressed his full support to Conlu as the LTO-NIR enters its transition phase, underscoring a commitment to inter-regional cooperation. In a meeting on Wednesday, both officials discussed the need of the LTO-NIR for office improvement and staffing requirements. Conlu extended his gratitude to Geduspan and the LTO-6 personnel as he pledged to prioritize service continuity in the new region.