The Land Transportation Office in Bais City, Negros Oriental apprehended more than 200 traffic violators and impounded four passenger buses and a cargo truck in two successive days of relentless operations.

The checkpoints in the adjacent cities of Tanjay and Bais and the towns of Mabinay on Tuesday and Wednesday, is part of a series of road apprehension operations conducted by the LTO Region 7 office based in Cebu.

LTO Assistant Regional Director Arnel Tansingco and Operations Division Chief Macario Getaruelas were on hand during the checkpoints that yielded several violators of R.A. 4136 or the LT and Traffic Code of the Philippines, LTO-Bais District Office chief Janine Lawas said.

Four passenger buses and a cargo truck were also impounded for major violations, such as being “colorum,” or illegally operating in areas outside of their franchise, invalid registration, illegal change of engine and illegal change of body, Lawas said.

He, however, declined to name the operator of the impounded buses but during Tuesday’s checkpoint in Palanas, Tanjay City, reporters saw and captured on video and photographs at least two Ceres buses of the Vallacar Transit that were found to have violations.

One of them had questionable documents, Tansingco said, while the other was found to have used a different plate that was screwed on top of another.

In fact, passengers of the north bound buses were told to disembark after the LTO announced that the buses were to be impounded.

The passengers complained about the inconvenience and non-refund of their fares, which a Ceres conductor said he could not do without the approval of his superior.

On Thursday, the LTO Region 7 officials and arresting teams were deployed to Dumaguete to continue the road apprehension operations, this time, in the southern part of Negros Oriental.*JFP

back to top