Atty. Vigor “Mr. Transportasyon” Mendoza II
Mendoza seeks to eradicate kupit, kolorum, kotong in public transport
ERADICATING Kupit, Kolorum at Kotong (KKK) will result in P60 savings which can be used to offset fuel cost, said an expert and experienced transport leader.
In an interview, lawyer Vigor “Mr. Transportasyon” Mendoza II, Chairman and President of 1-United Transport Alliance Koalisyon (1-UTAK) said the KKK are the three evils that plague the transport system, discourage investments, and reduce the income of legitimate transport operators.
Mendoza said Kupit eats up as much as 20% of an operator’s daily income or approximately P2000 per day for Modern Public Utility Jeeps (MPUJ) and P3000 for buses.
“Proven itong facts na eto. Hindi ito theory kayang kayang linisin etong kupit, kolorum at kotong ,” said Mendoza.
Mendoza explained this is also the reason why the boundary system is widely used. A new kind of enforcement would be necessary in order to apprehend the culprits.
He added that the prosecution and enforcement arm of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) will have to be beefed up, re-channelled and upgraded in order to meet the challenges.
He added that ‘kupit’ can be eradicated by mandating a card fare payment instead of cash payment.
Mendoza said kolorum vehicles continue to operate during rush hours.
“They eat up the income of legitimate operators by as much as 20%. This was the reason during the time of PGMA, she issue an Executive Order creating the Presidential Anti Kotong and Kolorum Task Force headed by a Cabinet secretary. If successful, this again will generate another P30 fuel subsidy,” he added.
Eradicating kotong is the same as eradicating kolorum in the sense that it will generate savings for operators, said Mendoza.
“Enforcement is the key for non-monetary intervention to address high fuel cost. But the traditional enforcement strategies will not work. It’s just a matter of learning from past experiences,” said Mendoza.
Photo File: Atty. Vigor “Mr. Transportasyon” Mendoza II, Chairman and President of Transport 1 United Transport Alliance Koalisyon (1-UTAK) and fleet operator Beep Jeep o Bagong Jeep.
